Skip Bayless says Rich Paul is "lying through his teeth" on LeBron James having a tougher path than Jordan: “LeBron wanted to be like Mike, LeBron didn’t just invite the comparison, he embraced the comparison”
NBA legends LeBron James and Michael Jordan will forever be compared.
Most view Jordan as the greatest player in NBA history. Although Jordan is known for his pure dominance, James has also swept through the NBA during his era.
As James continues to add to his impressive resume, the comparisons will only continue. On "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed" on Friday, analyst Skip Bayless talked about James' agent and close friend Rich Paul saying that James had a tougher path to greatness than Jordan.
"He lied through his teeth on this one," Bayless said.
Bayless spoke about Paul saying he believes the media wanted James to "be like Mike." Bayless said he believes James himself wanted to be like Jordan.
"Stop it," Bayless said. "LeBron wanted to be like Mike. LeBron didn't just invite the comparison, he embraced the comparison. He chose out of high school to wear No. 23. And he stole Jordan's pregame powder toss."
Rich Paul says the media wanted LeBron to "be like Mike"
"Stop it. LeBron wanted to be like Mike. LeBron didn't just invite the comparison, he embraced. He chose out of high school to wear #23. And he stole Jordan's pregame powder toss." — @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/v2WyzNNC2S
LeBron James chasing Michael Jordan
The comments made by agent Rich Paul and analyst Skip Bayless are sure to draw attention. Every night LeBron James steps on the floor, he adds to his gleaming career. The superstar forward has been one of the NBA's most dominant players since his first game in 2003.
As James continues to pile up records, they'll only create more context in the debate between Michael Jordan and James for the greatest player of all time. While James chases Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record, many will continue to argue that Jordan's ability to win on the biggest stage gives him the edge.
Rich Paul on LeBron James:
“I think he’ll be appreciated more when he’s done.”
(via @joevardon & @ByJasonLloyd, theathletic.com/3120754/2022/0…) https://t.co/sGTzz2LsLq
Jordan won six NBA championships, going an impressive 6-for-6 in the NBA Finals. James is 4-for-10. While James might be unlikely to reach that same number of titles before he retires, he's will have rewritten the record books in his career.
James has 36,559 career points in 19 seasons. Only Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points, 20 seasons) and Karl Malone (36,928 points, 19 seasons) have scored more.
James can catch Abdul-Jabbar next season.
Jordan, who retired in 2003 after 15 seasons, is fifth, with 32,292 points. He holds the NBA's highest career scoring average (30.12 points per game), while James is fifth (27.06 ppg).
While James entered the NBA right out of high school, Jordan spent three seasons at the University of North Carolina, where he won the national title as a freshman. Jordan also missed nearly five full seasons when he retired twice.