Michael Jordan is widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time. Even though other legends like LeBron James or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar often fight for that spot with the Chicago Bulls icon, most fans worship His Airness after taking the NBA to the next level in the 90s.
MJ’s mystic is so huge that we’re still talking about him even after over 20 years since his last season with the Bulls. What Jordan did was absolutely incredible and the legend is well aware that the things he did were just amazing.
Back in 1998, in the middle of his last season with Chicago, he sat down with late reporter Stuart Scott to discuss his impact on the game and who he thought would get the torch once he was done with basketball. At the time, players like Kobe Bryant and Grant Hill were given the tag of ‘the next Jordan,’ but Mike didn’t believe somebody could emulate what he did.
“It’s not fair, but it’s the standard of measuring,” Jordan said of the comparisons. “When I came here, Dr. J, Elgin Baylor, it’s just the standard of measuring for people to compare. But it’s never gonna be another Michael Jordan; it’s never gonna be another Dr. J, Magic Johnson or Larry Bird.”
Jordan explained that these young players needed to find their space in the league and create their own legacy. He said there would be a Kobe Bryant, Grant Hill or Anfernee Hardaway, players who fight to get their space in the association, trying to create a name for themselves.
Back in December 2020, Kyrie Irving watched this throwback video on Instagram and even dropped a comment, agreeing with Jordan’s statement.
“I hear no lies,” the controversial Brooklyn Nets star commented on the post.
When you talk about a player like Michael Jordan, it’s really hard to find somebody that came close to what he did. Sure, you can name a few players that matched his accolades, but that’s not common.
His Airness dominated the NBA, won offensive and defensive awards during his career, including 10 scoring titles and the DPOY award. He was only outscored by one of 269 opponents during his career, showing that he always was the best player on the court for both his team and the rivals.
MJ had the most impressive 11-year tenure in the league, dominating the association, collecting individual and collective awards every season, cementing his legacy as the greatest to ever do it. It’s hard to find somebody who can challenge Michael Jordan and things will continue this way for a long time.
