It always seemed a little crazy to me that LeBron James was compared to Michael Jordan since he came into the NBA seven years ago. Sure, he wore the same number as Mike, but at 6-8 and 260 lbs., LeBron shared none of Jordan’s physical characteristics, and frankly not much of his style of play.
If anything, LeBron’s newest teammate, Dwyane Wade, is a player who IS better compared to Jordan. While Kobe was dubbed early on in his career as the “Next MJ”, those comparisons weren’t all that helpful. Wade has never had to deal with that in his career, but truth be told, he may be closer than anyone to being the next Jordan.
Now, you may consider me crazy for making such a claim, but I believe it’s true.
How, you ask? Well, let’s take a look at it.
First, While Kobe’s beginning to catch up with Michael in the ring department, with the coming together of the “Three Kings” in Miami, there’s a good chance he’ll never catch him. Second, there are numerous people who would argue Kobe’s first three rings aren’t equal to Jordan’s first three, because he wasn’t “the man” on those teams.
If anything, they’d argue, he was nothing more than a role player on those squads, riding the coattails of the three-time Finals MVP Shaquille O’Neal.
Wade, on the other hand, has been, like Michael, the man on his team pretty much from his rookie year. Even when Shaquille O’Neal came to the Heat in 2005 to help eventually win Miami a title the following year, he had to admit the Heat were “Wade’s Team.” Wade puts up big numbers every year.
He is the Miami Heat’s statistical leader in numerous categories year-in and year-out. He’s carried the Heat on his back since the day he arrived, and has thrived in that role. He’s a fierce dunker with great athleticism and quickness, and is the epitome of “clutch.”
All of those attributes have been applied to his newest teammate, LeBron James, over his career as well. However, he’s now on “Wade’s Team” and will inevitably have to, at the very least, share the role of the “go-to-guy” with Dwyane. In fact, despite his critics’ claims, he’ll likely relish doing just that.
In one way you could compare this new Heat team to the Chicago Bulls, with Dwyane Wade as an updated version of Jordan, LeBron a much stronger, faster, and more talented version of Scottie Pippen, and Chris Bosh a far more talented player than Dennis Rodman. It’s definitely convenient to some of the things I wrote above.
However, perhaps a far better comparison would be to Pat Riley’s team of old, the original “Showtime” Lakers of the 80s.
For when you think about it, LeBron James can’t really be compared to Michael Jordan. It’s not fair to either player, for a number of reasons. In fact, the closest thing we’ve seen to the talent and physical makeup of LeBron in the past, was Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson.
Israel Gutierrez of the Miami Herald had that in mind in his most recent column, which speculates that Pat Riley is likely to use LeBron in the same way he used Magic, at the point.
So, rather than just have King James handle the ball quite a bit as a “Point-Forward”, why not plant him wholly into that new role for the Heat (otherwise now known as the South Beach Superteam), and make him Miami’s starting Point Guard?
It’s been done before, remember?
While some may question his ability to handle the ball going up against some of the quicker, defensive-minded Point Guards in the NBA, he could easily back the ball up with them, effectively posting them up from midcourt, and/or if they’re too quick for him, Wade can bring the ball up the court on occasion.
Like Magic, who was tall and big for his position, James would pretty much be playing the “Point-Forward” role discussed above, but as the true Point Guard, he would allow Mike Miller to earn his five-year, $25 million contract by starting for the Heat as their Small Forward.
In this role, James could easily be racking up about 20+ points per game to go along with possibly 10+ assists and 10+ rebounds. Basically, he could be the first man since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double for the season.
In that respect, LeBron really would be “the man”, just as Magic was when he played for the Lakers during those 80s. Dwyane Wade would be his James Worthy, so to speak, and although this will seem blasphemous to some Lakers fans, Bosh could serve as his Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
When you get right down to it, I think that reveals quite a bit about LeBron James and who we really should have been comparing him to his entire career.
Yes, he’s always been the “Next MJ”. Not Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson.
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