“LeBron had that added burden of just hearing it from everywhere” - 7x All-Star believes LeBron James deserves a lot more respect from “old heads who love Jordan”, says he admires LeBron as a player
NBA and LA Lakers superstar LeBron James and his comparisons to Michael Jordan are on-going and will probably not come to a halt, even after King James retires. Grant Hill is the latest to take on this eternal debate.
Appearing on JJ Redick's podcast "The Old Man and the Three," the seven-time All-Star spoke at length about how the criticism LeBron has faced in his career is different from what Michael Jordan had to endure. Hill praised King James for maintaining tunnel vision and tuning out all the slander. Hill said:
"LeBron is incredible. The pressure from a very young age lived up to those expectations and what he has had to endure that I don't think Michael Jordan had to endure. The slander that is out there, you don't see, feel or hear that back in the day. LeBron had that added burden of just hearing it from everywhere and how he's been able to tune that out and go out and play and be a pass-first guy and who could very well be the all-time leading scorer which is incredible. He found that balance."
Grant Hill is a seven-time All-Star and made the All-NBA First Team in 1997 as he was dubbed the second coming of Michael Jordan. However, ankle injuries during the turn of the millennium derailed a great career.
Contrast between Michael Jordan and LeBron James
Michael Jordan and LeBron James -- arguably, the two greatest players of all time -- have been compared constantly ever since the latter made his debut back in 2003. Anything and everything James accomplishes in his career is an opportunity for the media and fans to bring the age-old debate back to life.
The media has played a huge part in creating a narrative of James essentially chasing Jordan to be the greatest of all time. However, we should keep in mind that these two players have played in different eras, with a slight difference in rules. The league has also taken on a different identity since Jordan's time as the face of the NBA.
The two also played in different positions and were required to do different things to contribute to their teams' successes. Jordan was asked to carry the scoring burden while James has regularly been asked to run the offense and get other players involved in the game.
The numbers LeBron is putting up in year 19 are just ridiculous, even compared to a prime Michael Jordan 🤯 https://t.co/p8TidoiX5m
The game was also played in a completely different way, as today's NBA is more three-point oriented. Whereas the former Chicago Bulls superstar played at a time when most of the damage was done inside the arc.
While we will never truly and definitively know who the better player is, it is an interesting conversation to have. It is one that piques the interest of NBA fans all around the globe as everybody seems to be able to make a case for why their favorite player is the greatest of all time.