“Michael Jordan never missed a big shot; Meanwhile LeBron over the weekend can have 39 points, the Lakers lose; What does it mean for him as the GOAT?" - Nick Wright believes LeBron James is viewed through "prism of nostalgia"
LeBron James and the LA Lakers have come under scrutiny for their underwhelming season. James has been outstanding individually, but the team has struggled collectively.
The Lakers (31-44) are at risk of not making the play-in, let alone the playoffs. It would be their first absence since winning the championship in 2020. The last time the Lakers weren't in the playoffs was in James' first season (37-45) in 2018-19. They are 11th in the Western Conference standings, their lowest plus-minus since 2017.
Their 116-108 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday saw them lose their ninth spot to the Pels (32-43 entering Wednesday's game against Portland). But Tuesday's 128-110 loss to the Dallas Mavericks drove them further down to 11th.
The Lakers are tied with the San Antonio Spurs (31-44, who played Memphis on Wednesday). But the Spurs hold the tiebreaker because of their superior conference record, San Antonio's 21-24 to Los Angeles' 11-26. The Pelicans, who won the first two games against the Lakers, also hold the tiebreaker. The teams play for a third and final time Friday in Los Angeles.
On the "What's Wright" podcast, Nick Wright insisted that James, unlike Michael Jordan, is criticized and witch-hunted more than Jordan ever was. He said LBJ is the most-scrutinized athlete ever, having to be dragged and judged by a much higher standard than others.
"It's just throw the prism of nostalgia and the haziness of history." Wright said. "Michael Jordan never missed a big shot. Michael Jordan never missed a big free throw. Michael Jordan never had a bad game.
"Meanwhile, LeBron over the weekend can have 39 points against the Pelicans, the Lakers lose and they're like, 'Guy scored four in the fourth. What does it mean for him as the GOAT?' LeBron James is held to a standard the likes of which no athlete ever has been held to."
Nick Wright believes LeBron James is held to a higher standard than Michael Jordan was
Despite LeBron James' good run, he has had to be placed under higher standards and called out for the flimsiest occurrences. At least, that's what Nick Wright of FoxSports thinks. On his "What's Wright?" podcast, Wright argued that James is often judged differently than other players.
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James leads the league in scoring average at 30.1 points per game. But while he has been celebrated for his achievements, he has been bashed a lot more. Wright highlighted the backlash that was meted out to him for 2021's "Space Jam: A New Legacy" as an example. He said Michael Jordan was not a good actor in "Space Jam," the 1996 original.
"The idea that we all still, to this day, pretend that Michael Jordan was a good actor in 'Space Jam.' And LeBron, his movie grosses 160 million, he puts his kid in it and everyone is like, 'Oh, I gotta tell ya, his blocking in the second half not up to par. His comedic timing could use some work.' This is a microcosm for how we do LeBron James on the court, too."