“LeBron had to slay the monster in a way that MJ really didn’t have to. But that’s because MJ was the monster” - Max Kellerman believes LeBron James' road in the NBA was tougher than Jordan's because he’s not as good as Jordan
LeBron James' agent and long-time friend Rich Paul has caused quite a stir in the NBA community with his comments about James' path to greatness being harder than Michael Jordan's.
“The road for LeBron was just as hard, if not harder than the road was for Michael.”
Rich Paul on LeBron James' and Michael Jordan's paths to greatness
“The road for LeBron was just as hard, if not harder than the road was for Michael.” lakersdaily.com/rich-paul-comp…
The Athletic has recently released a list of the top 75 players in the NBA and ranked LeBron James as No. 2, sparking a lot of reactions from pundits and fans alike. Paul's comments came as a reaction to his client being ranked second behind Jordan and have proven to be the catalyst for a very new twist in the Jordan vs James debate.
Sports analyst Shannon Sharpe recently came out in agreement with Paul, saying that LeBron had to do everything in the shadow of Jordan, which made things a lot harder for him. For TV personality Stephen A. Smith, Michael's path was harder because he had the sole responsibility of uplifting the sport.
Debates like these can go on forever, as it boils down to personal preference more than anything else. Meanwhile, ESPN sports analyst Max Kellerman has weighed in on the topic, albeit agreeing with Paul, stating that James' "path was harder," because he has had to navigate very different circumstances to Jordan.
"I do agree with Rich Paul, not for those reasons. Michael went through his own stuff in his day that was similar to that. That style can't win and everything. But the real issue is this. LeBron's path was harder because he wasn't born into an NBA world where eventually his team got him a Phil Jackson level coach and develop a guy like Scottie Pippen. He had to leave Cleveland to find that."
Kellerman then went on to elaborate, saying that James' has had to overcome dynasties like the Golden State Warriors, whereas Jordan never quite encountered a team at that level. That is because in many ways Jordan was always on the proverbial "team to beat."
"And, there was no Golden State Warriors-level team for him to overcome - Jordan. There was for LeBron, and he did by the way before they added Durant just made it ridiculous. LeBron had to slay the monster in a way that MJ really didn't have to. But that's because MJ was the monster. Any team that MJ was on, with two other All-Stars, was the equivalent of the Golden State Warriors with KD."
LeBron James will play in the All-Star game for the 18th consecutive season
Although the record for the most All-Star selections still goes to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (19), LeBron James holds the record for playing in the All-Star game for 18 consecutive seasons. The four-time NBA champion has not missed the event since his sophomore season and has been named team captain for five seasons since the NBA's transition from the East vs. West format.
The Cleveland crowd went wild for @KingJames at #NBAAllStar practice 🤩 https://t.co/t55jwqVQZw
James' longevity is something to behold, and fans have been implored to appreciate the living legend while he still graces the NBA with his performances. James will likely play for at least two more seasons, as the four-time MVP is determined to share the court with his son, Bronny. If he achieves that, they will be the first father-son duo to play in the NBA at the same time.