ESPN’s “The Last Dance” provided fans with a stark reminder of why Michael Jordan is considered by most to be the greatest player in NBA history.
Of course, the docuseries did little to quiet the comparison between Jordan and Lebron James among the NBA’s hierarchy of all-time greats. Each episode gave fans with more fodder for the never ending debate on social media.
To no surprise, Chicago Bulls and White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf remains one of Jordan’s most staunch supporters when it comes to arguing the best players in league history. It seems he is not interested in any opinions that would suggest otherwise.
According to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, Reinsdorf feels there really is no debate between James and Jordan:
“This is history. It makes for fascinating stuff,” Reinsdorf said. “And ‘The Last Dance’ obviously should establish in the mind of any person with normal eyesight that Michael was beyond a doubt the greatest of all-time. In my mind, anytime anybody wants to talk to me about comparing Michael to LeBron (James), I’m going to tell them to please don’t waste my time.
Reinsdorf added that he is happy that the documentary showed just how much more dominant Jordan was compared to the competition, and suggested James be compared to other NBA legends:
“I’m really pleased it showed how great Michael was to people who hadn’t seen him play. I’m truly tired of people trying to compare LeBron to Michael when it’s not even close. They should try to compare LeBron with Oscar Robertson or Magic Johnson. Michael was so head and shoulders over everybody, and that really came out in this documentary. He was a phenomenon. We may never see another like him.”
The fact that Reinsdorf is so adamant about Jordan’s place atop the NBA’s pecking order hardly comes as a surprise. He got to witness firsthand how he took the league by storm and did not relinquish his status as the best player in the world until his time with the Bulls was officially over.
It is safe to say that there are many that share the same opinion as Reinsdorf, especially after being provided an inside look into his trials and tribulations at the time. Regardless, this will do little to deter the argument from making its rounds every now and then.
James still has an opportunity to add on to his legacy and make a compelling case to give Jordan a run for his money. Winning a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers could very well be the deciding factor for providing credence to the debate.
