Shannon Sharpe compares Michael Jordan and LeBron James' final years - "Jordan missed the playoffs last two years of his career"
When it comes to NBA legacies, Michael Jordan and LeBron James are often compared regarding which player has the most impressive legacy with everything they have accomplished in their career.
While as impressive as a legacy can be from the likes of Michael Jordan and LeBron James, it wasn't completely flawless throughout as Shannon Sharpe debated Skip Bayless on "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed."
"LeBron's legacy is etched in stone. Jordan missed the playoffs the last 2 years of his career, do you ding his legacy?"
Skip Bayless argued that this current run for LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers will have serious implications for the nineteen-time All-Star's resume depending on how their playoff run wraps up.
Whether it's a first-round exit or even failing to reach and win the NBA Finals, Skip Bayless considers either of the two situations to take a huge hit on LeBron's legacy.
However, Shannon Sharpe responded that with everything that LeBron James has accomplished since winning the 2020 NBA championship and surpassing Kareem Abdul Jabar on the NBA's All-Time Scoring List, his legacy has already been stamped and approved compared to some of the greatest to have ever played in the league.
Michael Jordan's final season with the Washington Wizards
In comparing LeBron James' twentieth NBA season to Michael Jordan's time with the Washington Wizards, each had a different situation at that point in their careers.
Jordan, after three seasons of retirement, decided to give it another go and played two seasons for the Washington Wizards. He was able to play 60 games in the first season and 82 games in his final NBA season.
MJ didn't average any less than 20.0 points per game during his time playing in the nation's capital as he still managed to showcase flashes of the old Michael Jordan.
With "Father Time" obviously having an effect on Michael Jordan at this stage in his career, the Washington Wizards were simply not a good team as they composed Tyronn Lue, Kwame Brown, Jerry Stackhouse and Charles Oakley to only name a few.
In LeBron James' case, the Los Angeles Lakers started off the season terribly with a roster that couldn't gel and fit well with one another along with constant injuries.
But after a major reconstruction of the team's depth by Rob Pelinka, they were able to sneak into a spot in the Play-in Tournament with a chance to secure the seventh seed in the Western Conference against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
However, as the season wraps up for LeBron James and the Lakers, even with the possibility of a disappointing finish, a "ding" on his legacy isn't really in question as similar to what happened during Jordan's time with the Wizards.
They can only do so much with what they have due to players getting injured and lackluster rosters.