The NBA season is over; The Lakers are the champs, Kobe got his fourth ring. Great. End of story. Close the book. Right?
I can’t yet.
There’s something about this past NBA season that is really bugging me. And before I get into it, let me state the obvious up front – I’m definitely coming from a very biased perspective. But here’s what it is: The Michael Jordan comparisons. I’m tired of them. First it’s Kobe Bryant. Then it’s LeBron James. The media wants you to think these guys are the Next Coming. I’m sorry, but I just don’t see that. They’re great players, yes. They’ve had great careers thus far. But I think it is a great disservice, not only to Kobe and Lebron, but also to MJ, to make these comparisons. Just look at Jordan’s resume. The facts speak for themselves. Feel free to refresh your memory here and here.
I can already hear some fans say, “Well, hey, Kobe and LeBron’s numbers and accomplishment compare fairly favorably to Jordan’s.” Sure, maybe they do, to a degree (but not by much). There’s more than just numbers and accolades to compare here though. Fortunately someone picked up on this. I was reading ESPN today and came across this article. In it, Bill Simmons writes:
You know what? We just witnessed one of the great two-year stretches in the history of professional basketball if the determining factors were durability, consistency, individual success, team success, statistical excellence and degree of difficulty. Kobe’s 2007-2009 stretch ranks alongside these post-shot-clock efforts (in no particular order): Bill Russell (1961-63), Jerry West (1964-66), Wilt Chamberlain (1966-68), Bill Russell (1967-69), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1970-72), Larry Bird (1985-87), Magic Johnson (1986-88), Michael Jordan (1990-92), Hakeem Olajuwon (1993-95), Michael Jordan (1996-98) and Tim Duncan (2001-03). Not a fraud on the list.
I would rather see Kobe linked with everyone above and not just Jordan, if only because the MJ comparisons are tiresome. We’re never seeing another Jordan, just like we’re never seeing another Brando or Lennon. It’s just not happening. They might compare statistically and stylistically, but Jordan could command a room of 10 people or 20,000 and get the exact same reaction: Every set of eyes trained on him for as long as he was there. His personality, his charisma, his aura, his passion … indescribable. Like nothing I have ever seen. Nobody remembers this now because he hasn’t played in awhile, but Jordan was always the coolest guy in the room. Without fail. He was like Doctor J. crossed with Sinatra. Remember those dopey ads when somebody said, “My broker is E.F. Hutton,” and everyone else in the room froze? That was what happened to an arena when Jordan walked in. You would freeze, and you would hear screams, and then it would be a sea of lightbulbs. And everyone was saying the same thing, “I get to say I watched Michael Jordan.”
That just about sums it up.
There is only one Michael Jordan. Period.