"Ja Morant and the silly s**t he’s doing" - Gilbert Arenas asserts Michael Jordan won’t 'be perfect' in LeBron James' era
Michael Jordan and LeBron James have often been compared to each other since James entered the NBA in 2003. Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas shared an interesting take on a certain scenario where the two superstars play in different eras.
Jordan dominated the league back from the mid-1980s until the early 2000s, when he retired for the final time as a veteran leader for the Washington Wizards. James, on the other hand, has dominated from the early 2000s until now, still playing at an all-time level for the LA Lakers.
Interestingly, Arenas envisioned a scenario in which the two would exchange eras. On the "I AM ATHLETE" podcast, Agent Zero revealed which of the two he thinks would have a better career.
"If we take MJ, we take LeBron, and we switch them in eras, Michael Jordan's personality, the way he lived his life, he would not be perfect like LeBron is," Arenas said.
"When we’re talking about Ja Morant and the silly sh*t he’s doingnand that’s tarnishing his legacy … you take MJ’s personality, the gambling, all that, and put it in this scrutiny, f**k no."
Gilbert says MJ wouldn’t be as successful as LeBron in this era
“When we’re talking about Ja Morant and the silly sh!t he’s doing, and that’s tarnishing his legacy…You take MJ’s personality, the gambling, all that..F*CK NO”
(Via @IAMATHLETEpod )
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A fascinating part of how Arenas analyzed the situation was that he didn't take into account the impact both stars would make on the court. The three-time All-Star focused solely on how their careers would be seen by fans off the court. Both players belong in different periods and have dealt with different issues.
MJ spent a lot of time gambling and playing golf when he wasn't playing. This was revealed in the 2020 documentary "The Last Dance." Additionally, his interactions with other players and people could be an issue in the modern NBA, as everything is being monitored in the social media era.
You might also be interested in reading this: “God disguised as Michael Jordan” – When Larry Bird hailed Michael Jordan for 63-point performance
Michael Jordan is still considered the GOAT by many NBA players
The Athletic published an anonymous player poll on many NBA-related aspects this week. Players gave answers on questions like "who is the most overrated player" to "who is the best defender."
One of the questions asked players to identify the is the greatest player of all time. To many's surprise, Michael Jordan was voted by most players as their GOAT, with LeBron coming in at second place.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, Jordan garnered 58.3% votes from those who participated, and the current LA Lakers star followed with 33.0% votes. Kobe Bryant was in third place with 6.8%.
Also read: When former mobster claimed David Stern did not want Michael Jordan around due to rumors that his father’s murder was connected to his gambling