San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
James’ claim misguided; it’s Jordan
The case was closed years ago, at least among the knowing. The greatest basketball player ever to walk the Earth was Michael Jordan. Nothing has changed, although it seems LeBron James has a different opinion.
In a recent interview with ESPN, James reflected on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2016 title — earned in a dramatic Game 7 against the Warriors at Oracle Arena. He said it “made me the greatest player of all time.”
For one thing, it’s up to others to make this claim. You never heard Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, Jordan or anyone else say that. It’s not a big deal; LeBron is the master of today’s universe, and some might find his confidence refreshing.
It’s just not quite the truth. And I give the floor to Allen Iverson, always a straight shooter, from what he wrote in a Dec. 6 article for the Players Tribune:
“Man ... listen. First of all, I love LeBron . ... That’s the best player of his generation, one of the best ever . ... But y’all. We’re talking about Mike . ... We’re talking about black Jesus himself.” Iverson adds that there’s no need to “insult” him with statistics — “like you have a chance of changing my mind.”
Actually, Jordan has the best number of all: six. He played in six NBA Finals and won them all. That takes care of the winning aspect. But this argument should be strictly about the individual, and Jordan is a hands-down winner there, as well.
James is the superior passer, and that’s a major category, and his size advantage gives him a rebounding edge. Otherwise, it’s Jordan: all-court scoring, clutch shooting in big games, free-throw shooting (not even close), footwork, defense (six straight first-team honors on the All-Defensive Team, and Defensive Player of the Year in 1987-88). James is a fabulous open-court dunker; Jordan dunked on superstars’ heads, in huge moments, leaving impressions to last a lifetime. His early career attacks on the hoop were staggering to behold. And he did it all in an era when, as Steve Nash recently said, “Defenders could aggressively use their hands. You could really put the lumber on people.”
Say what you will if you never saw Jordan play. If you lived it, as I did, covering Jordan in person and gauging others’ reactions at the Finals, All-Star Games and dunk contests, you don’t even think twice. As his former coach, Doug Collins, said, “I was there. We need to stop comparing people to Michael. We are never seeing that again.”
Because there’s everyone else, and then there was Mike. The end. Interesting to hear Iverson list his all-time starting five: Jordan, James, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant — and Stephen Curry.
Houston forward P.J. Tucker, reflecting on the Rockets’ win at Oracle on Thursday: “We were down (17) at halftime, and we just looked at each other . ... The way we play, if we lock in on defense ... we can come back on anybody. We think we’ll win every game, no matter where it’s at, no matter who we play . ... We really feel that. We mean it.”
The Warriors are inspiring serious doubts about their chances to repeat, and that’s no surprise to the members of Russell’s Celtics. Those teams were constantly called “too old” and bound to get humbled. In 1968-69 they finished fourth in the Eastern Division, and they were so banged up, they took the court looking like survivors of a car wreck. That was a vastly different time: Fewer teams, fewer playoff series, no free agency, no constant talk of who’s going where, and dynasties tended to last (Packers, Yankees, Canadiens). But willpower, unselfishness and confidence are timeless components. The Celtics won the title that year, beating the Lakers at the Forum in Game 7. It was their 11th in 13 years.
Touching moment Thursday night in San Antonio: Spurs coach Gregg Popovich in a lengthy postgame embrace and conversation with the Raptors’ Kawhi Leonard, who left San Antonio for Toronto under acrimonious circumstances and was returning for the first time in an opponent’s uniform.
Popovich had reacted bitterly to the loss of his best player, telling reporters, “Kawhi was a great player, but he wasn’t a leader or anything.” If that sounded out of character for the game’s most respected coach, it’s because the Spurs hadn’t had anything close to superstar drama since the 1994-95 season, when Popovich was the team’s general manager and suspended Dennis Rodman for taking an unauthorized leave of absence. Rodman eventually came back, immediately showed up late for a practice, and during the Western Conference finals against Houston, Rodman was seen lying on the floor near the Spurs’ bench with his shoes off. (He was traded in the offseason).
So Leonard’s conduct was a jolt to Popovich — and he was right, by the way. A true leader doesn’t stay quiet through months of mystery, leaving his coach and teammates to interpret an absence they don’t really understand. But Popovich has deep respect for Leonard on the court, and their reconciliation, while not terribly surprising to anyone, was very nice to see.
Anthony Davis is kidding himself if he thinks Elfrid Payton, Nicola Mirotic and Julius Randle are going to help him win a title in New Orleans (Jrue Holiday is a cut above). Davis should heed the words of Kevin Garnett, who spent 12 seasons as a loyal soldier in Minnesota before winding up in Boston — and winning the 2008 title. “I told Anthony to his face, ‘You are playing against history,’ ” Garnett told USA Today. “He needs to be somewhere where they can have a run at a championship. He’s been in New Orleans long enough. It’s time for a change now.”
Bruce Jenkins is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: bjenkins@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Bruce_Jenkins1