It’s America’s pastime. No, I’m not referencing yesterday’s coveted start to the Major League Baseball season. I’m talking about the ever-growing debate over who’s mightier: Michael Jordan or LeBron James. It’s becoming a topic that could decide who your father-in-law may or may not be.
No matter what side you stand on, both of these players will go down as two of the most iconic players to ever step on an NBA hardwood. James is coming off leading the Heat to a commanding 27-game win streak. Even the greatest team in NBA history, the 1995-96 Bulls led by Jordan couldn’t put together more than an 18-game winning streak during their historic 72-win championship season.
So now I’m going to throw you a 12-6 curveball and tell you why James will never reach the same level as Jordan — Jordan’s brief baseball career easily makes him the best basketball player ever.
I could’ve gone the usual route of six championship rings (Jordan) to one (James), but that would be ignorant, plus I like opting for the hipster highway. Since we can look back on Jordan’s career in its entirety, trying to compare it with James’ mere 10 years in the league (yes, it’s been that long) would be like comparing the still-new Washington Nationals to the legendary Yankees. It’s just not fair. James will win more rings, maybe not six, but definitely more than one; his next could come as early as this June.
In honor of a new season filled with pine tar and chewing tobacco, Jordan is light years better than King James for what he did on the diamond, not the hardwood. I’m as crazy as Dennis Rodman, right?
On Oct. 6, 1993, Jordan retired from basketball after nine seasons in the association. His reasoning was equivalent to Lil Wayne’s departure from music (thank God) to a newfound skating endeavor. It just didn’t make any sense, especially as the Bulls were entering the 1994 season as back-to-back-to-back NBA champions.
In the spring of ’94, Jordan took his talents to the Birmingham Barons, the Double-A affiliate to the Chicago White Sox. He went f
rom a jet-filled luxury lifestyle to taking charter buses through the back roads of Alabama.
While his numbers wouldn’t arouse Buster Olney, his journey into the unknown was commendable. Jordan finished at .202/.289/.266 in the three main batting categories (batting average, on-base and slugging percentage).
With his presence he brought a little slice of Hollywood to a colorless minor league baseball team.
It’s simply the concept here. He withdrew from basketball, his way of living, to pursue a childhood passion, and he wasn’t too terrible at it. No one does that. Do you think James could hang with the Richmond Flying Squirrels? I don’t.
Jordan then threw in his glove after one season and returned to the United Center, embracing his Bulls teammates once again at the end of the ’95 season. 1994’s MLB strike is said to have influenced his return to basketball. Many say that without it, he would’ve continued his journey to the big leagues.
While no one can be certain where Jordan’s baseball ceiling would’ve been, it’s fun to speculate.
In his first full season back (’95-’96) Jordan won MVP honors and led the Bulls to another Finals victory. They repeated again in ’97 and ’98.
The philosophy is simple: Jordan wins three MVP’s and three straight championships, quits basketball for an entire year to play baseball, returns and again brings three straight championships and two MVP’s to the city of Chicago.
If James is as good as Jordan, he’ll win the championship this year and next, then become a tight end for an arena football league team. After briefly getting his feet wet on the gridiron, he’ll need to return to South Beach and win another three straight Finals rings.
Well, that would be about as probable as the Houston Astros winning the World Series this year.
Stephen Proffitt is a sophomore media arts and design major. Contact Stephen at proffijs@dukes.jmu.edu.
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