Michael Jordan weighs in on LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.
Lost in all the hubbub of LeBron James switching teams and all that entails — you know, legacy, fandom, championship opportunities; minor things, really — was the simple fact that the Miami Heat actually added LeBron James to their team. That's a pretty big deal! And since he's one of the two best players in the NBA, — and the Heat only had to give up a few draft picks and a trade exception to get him — it was a pretty good move for Miami, to say the absolute very least.
And while joining Dwyane Wade might hurt LeBron in his battle with Kobe Bryant for the best-player-in-the-league throne, one Miami Heat jersey retiree thinks the two-time reigning regular-season MVP is already a step behind the two-time reigning finals MVP. And no, we're not hearing from Tim Hardaway. It's someone a smidge more famous who didn't even play for the Heat but had his jersey retired by the team nonetheless — Michael Jordan.
In this recently surfaced clip from a 2009 camp hosted by Jordan, the now-Bobcats owner's one word response makes the kids go crazy.
Well, there you have it, straight from the Greatest of All-Time's mouth — Kobe Bryant is better than LeBron James. Yeah, maybe the stats don't back him up, but the championships and Kobe's performance in the playoffs sure do.
Top-dog pedigree aside, no one is confusing Michael Jordan for a top-flight talent evaluator. In fact, based on his personnel decisions in Washington and Charlotte, he's almost the exact opposite of that (bottom-cruise?). However, if there's one guy who could recognize best-in-the-league status when he sees it, it's Michael Jordan.
SOURCE: Trey Kerby / Yahoo Sports (July 13, 2010)