OT: LeBron James is the next Michael Jordan

[JCB Lobo]

http://espn.go.com/blog/TrueHoop/post/_/id/29656/lebron-james-is-the-next-michael-jordan

Urrgghhh I hate the media. NO ONE WILL EVER BE THE NEXT JORDAN! EVER! ESPN has always been all over Lechumps you know what. Its annoying! If anyone has come close to being the "next" Jordan it has been Kobe (as Jalen Rose calls him MJ Remix) with his 5 Championship Rings. But its even annoying to call Kobe that.

I dont like LeBronze at all. To give him all this praise is just ridiculous and also disrespectful to D Wade and Dirk Nowitszki.

Shoot why not proclaim Dirk as the Next Jordan? I mean the guy has been the best player in the Playoffs this year. He is straight beasting EVERYONE right now and all bias aside I really think Dallas is going to win it all. I really hope they do after reading this article.

[mdanger007]

Unless it's the Lobos, I'm always rooting for the underdog. Needless to say, I'm no Heat fan. However, what Lebron did in the final minutes defensively against the Bulls in game 4 and offensively in game 5 was just spectacular. No doubt in my mind that if James can get those rings, he'll be known as the best player ever.

[JCB Lobo]

Unless it's the Lobos, I'm always rooting for the underdog. Needless to say, I'm no Heat fan. However, what Lebron did in the final minutes defensively against the Bulls in game 4 and offensively in game 5 was just spectacular. No doubt in my mind that if James can get those rings, he'll be known as the best player ever.

He is talented no one can dispute that one bit. But he quit on Cleveland in the playoffs and in the offseason. He went for the easy way out and tarnished his Legacy in the process. Even if he were to win multiple titles in Miami, D Wade will always have one more ring then him... But Im sorry they are NOT going to win 7 titles much less more than 2 if that.

The League is very competitive right now. For One Dallas is not going to just give Miami the title. Dirk is hungry and playing better then anyone including Lebron. And OKC is on the rise, Chicago really only needs one player (I think Danny Granger would be perfect to team up with D. Rose) to get over the hump. The Knicks are building a contender in NYC. I dont care what anyone says but the Lakers are not done and there is a lot of other talent that will move around. It is going to be very difficult for any team to win back to back for the next 5 yrs much less 7 titles as His Quitness thinks.

He may be talented but he isnt Jordan.

[JCB Lobo]

Funny! Obviously people are fed up with the comparisons. Look at these Polls on ESPN. http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/post/_/id/6599175/lebron-james-vs-michael-jordan
The overwhelming majority which is 10,000 plus and counting are voting Jordan way way higher than LBJ. I swear these comparisons are so stupid and a reason that ESPN gets under my skin. They have ALWAYS been all over LBJ's you know what.

[COLOLOBO]

LeBron James is no MJ nor will he ever be just stop it!

[RIDIC]

Biggest difference, even though Jordan did have his off the court issues as well, is that Jordan had CLASS. Lebron has none. Classy people don't take a big, steaming, runny dump on their home the way Lebron did. Jordan was also much better at making players around him better. If Lebron could do that, he wouldn't have had to leave Cleveland.

Here's a good commercial:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEVCjUG1Mww&feature=related

[JCB Lobo]

Biggest difference, even though Jordan did have his off the court issues as well, is that Jordan had CLASS. Lebron has none. Classy people don't take a big, steaming, runny dump on their home the way Lebron did. Jordan was also much better at making players around him better. If Lebron could do that, he wouldn't have had to leave Cleveland.

Here's a good commercial:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEVCjUG1Mww&feature=related

I loved that video when it was remixed and came out!

[trulobo]

The problem with Lebron is that he has gotten by on talent his whole life. And when that didn't work in Cleveland, he ran to Miami with his tail between his legs. In my eyes, he is a traitor and will never be mentioned amongst the greats because of this. The great ones did it on their terms with teammates that were built around them. Not the exact opposite.

[LoboAuto]

D-Wade is better than Lebron. Miami is D-wades team. Lebron is like Scottie Pippen.

[LaVidaLobo]

LeJudas is no MJ, Magic or Michael. Great player, but a good ways to good before even in the same discussion as Greatest of all Time, which both MJs were.

[loborick]

Why has this thread been allowed on the men's basketball board, but the thread about the Lobos winning the baseball tourney (which I think is of much more interest to Lobo fans) been moved?

[Garishwolf]

I think the LOBOS would beat the heat in baseball, MJ would rule Lebron on the diamond.

[wolf1960]

A real laugher HA HA HA we wait and see the championship rings... MJ got his !!

[UNM_ALUM]

Queen James is no MJ and I getting tired of them (ESPN/TNT) throwing him down my throat like he is.

[UNMerciful_1]

Is Lebron the next MJ? NO! But that doesn't mean that he doesn't do some things better than MJ. MJ was an excellent defender, but he couldn't guard 4's. Lebron can guard 1 through 4. Lebron is also a better assist man and rebounder than MJ was. I still want MJ taking the last shot over anyone who's ever played the game. But let's not act like Lebron is just some scrub.

What has Lebron really done wrong to make people hate him so much? He went on national tv to announce he was leaving Cleveland and going to play with D Wade in "south beach". Probably not the way to do it, but let's be honest, if he just has a press conference espn would have covered it live. So it was going to be on national tv one way or the other. And at least he gave all proceeds from the program to the boys and girls club. As far as leaving Cleveland give me a break. Lebron had no help there. Jordan didn't win until he got Pippen, and he also had one of the best coaches of all time. When the NBA came out with it's top 50 players of all time to mark the year 2000 Pippen was on that team. Lebron was not playing with any all time greats in Cleveland.

Lebron also took less money to go to Miami. He could've gotten more in Chicago and New York as well as Cleveland. We usually criticize superstars for being all about the money and not about the team or winning. Lebron obviously cares about both the team and winning. If he and Wade don't take less money they wouldn't have been able to sign Bosh. I don't recall Cliff Lee getting criticized this past winter for taking less money to go to a place where he thought he had a better chance to win. He could've gotten more money from the Yankees and the Rangers, but playing for the Phillies in the national league he thought gave him a better chance to win.

How many basketball players have changed teams strictly for the purpose of trying to win a championship? Just off the top of my head: Wilt, Kareem, Moses Malone, Barkley (it didn't work, but he tried), Shaq (multiple times), Karl Malone, Gary Payton, and justb recently Melo. Anybody criticize them for not trying to win with the team they were on?

And finally I believe comparing Lebron to MJ is a little like trying to compare Joe Montana to John Elway or Dan Marino. Montana has more rings than both, but he also played with better talent around him, and I believe better coaching. You could put either Elway or Marino on any of those 49er teams, and they still win championships. But I doubt Montana wins a championship with the dolpins or the broncos of the late 80's.

[Yakkacat25]

What a crock. There will never be another Michael Jordan ever again. Why can't people just let LBJ be himself. I know there's always this need to compare and see where players stack up against one another. Bottom line is Michael Jordan has 6 NBA Titles to his name and resume. Lebron doesn't even have on yet. MJ could rip out your heart and then stomp on it. Silly lets move on.

[danny_914]

See the problem is u also have someone in Los Angeles named kobie bryant who is one ring close to micheal but he has a better chance to catch jordan in rings than that chump lebron james. I am a bulls fan and have been for years and while I saw the bulls give up on those games d rose and his teammates were getting mugged by lbj and his teammates inside and then just a little tap and its a foul on the bulls. I mean lbj is talented but he is no micheal jordan everyone forgets micheal wasn't only a great scorer but he was an amazing leader. If lequitter was a great leader he would have taken responsibility and said guys we lost because I couldn't lead us grow a pair man. D rose said and I quote " it starts and ends with me" he is addmitting that he could of helped them more but also the bulls need more out of boozer and noah and another shooter. But back to lebum if he wins a ring this year good for him but when that worthless basketball player has 7 rings then come talk to me about who ios the greatest basketball player and last time I check bill Russell had 11 rings so lebron u have a huge mountain to climb to be the best so grow a pair and stop being a whinny little basketball pre madonna

[Ltlf]

Lebron didn't say he was the best. That would be Pippen. Pippen might be wrong, but he has the creds to have that opinion. Seems to me he might know just know how good MJ was.

[Garishwolf]

Huuuuum,,,,,,,,,,,facinating............please continue...............lol

[LoboLaw]

See the problem is u also have someone in Los Angeles named kobie bryant who is one ring close to micheal but he has a better chance to catch jordan in rings than that chump lebron james. I am a bulls fan and have been for years and while I saw the bulls give up on those games d rose and his teammates were getting mugged by lbj and his teammates inside and then just a little tap and its a foul on the bulls. I mean lbj is talented but he is no micheal jordan everyone forgets micheal wasn't only a great scorer but he was an amazing leader. If lequitter was a great leader he would have taken responsibility and said guys we lost because I couldn't lead us grow a pair man. D rose said and I quote " it starts and ends with me" he is addmitting that he could of helped them more but also the bulls need more out of boozer and noah and another shooter. But back to lebum if he wins a ring this year good for him but when that worthless basketball player has 7 rings then come talk to me about who ios the greatest basketball player and last time I check bill Russell had 11 rings so lebron u have a huge mountain to climb to be the best so grow a pair and stop being a whinny little basketball pre madonna

Everything you've said here is BS - if, as a basketball fan, you are truly unable to see how amazing Lebron is...well...I just don't know what to tell you. I suspect that MJ would have fared much worse in this day and age, personality wise, what with his rampant *******ery and whatnot.

I don't care for the "The Next ..." arguments as a general rule, but love him or hate him Lebron is gonna be a player that goes down in NBA history.

Oh, and as for the "Bulls getting mugged" stuff...I appreciate some fan bias, but the simple fact is that both teams are rough and physical on defense; the difference was that the Bulls were exposed as having a lackluster offense that relied too heavily on Rose, and Rose got no real help from Boozer. The Bulls need solid guards badly, and that's the main reason they lost.

[Yakkacat25]

Everything you've said here is BS - if, as a basketball fan, you are truly unable to see how amazing Lebron is...well...I just don't know what to tell you. I suspect that MJ would have fared much worse in this day and age, personality wise, what with his rampant *******ery and whatnot.

I don't care for the "The Next ..." arguments as a general rule, but love him or hate him Lebron is gonna be a player that goes down in NBA history.

Oh, and as for the "Bulls getting mugged" stuff...I appreciate some fan bias, but the simple fact is that both teams are rough and physical on defense; the difference was that the Bulls were exposed as having a lackluster offense that relied too heavily on Rose, and Rose got no real help from Boozer. The Bulls need solid guards badly, and that's the main reason they lost.

Lebron is one of the best players in the NBA. No denying that. Michael Jordan was a leader. He called out his own teammates and he wouldn't be any different today. He lived with the consequences and a natural born leader who wasn't afraid to call out his own team. Just the way he was as a player. MJ was the guy who said "Oh this was all on me". He was a guy who pushed his teammates to be the best they could be. When you watched him play he was impossible to stop. And had he not retired when he did he could've have a few more titles. The only one that's similar to him is Kobe not a lot alike but similar. Kobe is definitely not a diplomatic guy but he has won a lot of titles and has supplanted his legacy. Lebron has not.

[danny_914]

My point is that lebon should of taken a more of the blame for cleveland not beating the spurs in the 07 finals. Then again they had a big 3 too but I think lebron should have out right said when he went to miami I believe the heat have a better chance then Cleveland does at winning a title with bosh and wade there and I believe I am the final piece to the puzzle to make it all happen so I am leaving for south beach. If lebron wanted to do it with class that's how he should have done it. However, I believe that because the heat did find the bulls weakness and last time I checked john paxson has 3 rings himself so he will build a team around rose to win a title and stephine a smith said it best the other day if the heat don't win a title this year the door may close because the bulls are an up and coming team so is dallas and okc. If lebron gets a title good job for him but until he has 7 rings he will never be as good as jordan. I also agree that if jordan didn't retire after 93 the bulls might have won till 98 and if he didn't retire then maybe if he did stay 3 more years 10 straight titles. As a fan I remember jordan having 3 hard years vs the detroit bad boy pistons and I hope every year we do see d rose vs lbj in the conference finals because while the bulls are deflated from losing the series being knocked out by a good team like the heat builds character. But maybe d rose could do something lebron didn't have the heart to do and that was stay the course and finish the job he started in his home town.

[toddl18]

I will be rooting for the heat and it has little to do with Lebron, Dwade or Chris Bosh. Joel Anthony made that team a few years ago when no one gave him/them a shot. Pat Riley saw potential and got him. While I know it's a by product but I really want to see him wn a championship. He's the best example in recent time of working hard to improve it's hard not to like the guy that puts in the time and effort. I really couldn't care less if the other ego's maniacs get one I like when a player plays hard and is more about the team then themselves.

As for Lebron being the next jordan.... No one will ever be the next jordan much like no one will ever be the next Bryant or Lebron. The NBA needs to move on from the pass and help the younger stars differentaite themselves.

[T-R]

HELL NO ...

[JCB Lobo]

My point is that lebon should of taken a more of the blame for cleveland not beating the spurs in the 07 finals. Then again they had a big 3 too but I think lebron should have out right said when he went to miami I believe the heat have a better chance then Cleveland does at winning a title with bosh and wade there and I believe I am the final piece to the puzzle to make it all happen so I am leaving for south beach. If lebron wanted to do it with class that's how he should have done it. However, I believe that because the heat did find the bulls weakness and last time I checked john paxson has 3 rings himself so he will build a team around rose to win a title and stephine a smith said it best the other day if the heat don't win a title this year the door may close because the bulls are an up and coming team so is dallas and okc. If lebron gets a title good job for him but until he has 7 rings he will never be as good as jordan. I also agree that if jordan didn't retire after 93 the bulls might have won till 98 and if he didn't retire then maybe if he did stay 3 more years 10 straight titles. As a fan I remember jordan having 3 hard years vs the detroit bad boy pistons and I hope every year we do see d rose vs lbj in the conference finals because while the bulls are deflated from losing the series being knocked out by a good team like the heat builds character. But maybe d rose could do something lebron didn't have the heart to do and that was stay the course and finish the job he started in his home town.

I dunno about Jordan winning 8 or even 10 straight but I do think that 4-5 straight would have been possible. Every action causes a reaction and with Jordan not being there those 2yrs it allowed Chicago to load back up when he did come back. Who knows what would have happened had he stayed. Tough to say.

I like your point about D Rose though and how you can see him staying the course with Chicago. Cleveland wasnt that far off from becoming a Championship team. Lebron is a great player but NO ONE not even Jordan is good enough to help a team to the Leagues best record without support. Cleveland may not have had the best talent but that talent was PERFECTLY molded around Lebron to compliment his style. If they had pulled the trigger on the trade for Amare last year that would have been the piece they were missing to get to the Finals and really quite possibly be competing for a championship this year. Plus Amare would have been coming to Lebron instead of Lebum going to D Wade's team in Miami.

I think its insulting to D Wade how everyone is gobbling Lequit's you know what. D Wade is the closer on that team...and if it comes down to who is going to take that last shot Miami is NUTS if they dont have that ball in Wade's hands. Plus lets also not forget that even Chris Bosh (amazingly) is a big reason that Miami beat Chicago (in atleast 2 of those wins).

Yes Lepunk may be the most talented player in the game right now. But being the most talented does NOT mean you are even the BEST PLAYER in the League. I'll admit Im a lil biased as a Lakers fan and I believe that title has NEVER been relenquished by the current King of the NBA KOBE BRYANT...but they arent in the Finals this year and bias aside NO ONE is playing better then Dirk Nowitzki is right now. Dirk is really going off right now and Miami is going to have a tough time dealing with him.

Bias aside I think Dallas will win the Finals in 6 or 7 games and if Im right, what will ESPN, Scottie Pippen and the VERY FEW people who have even made the proclamation that LeQUIT is the Greatest, will say then. Dirk and Jason Kidd deserve this title more than the Heat.

[popjsr]

yes ,LeBron James is the next Michael Jordan.

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