Michael Jordan and LeBron James are always compared in the GOAT debate. Because of this, many believe that the two have a contentious relationship. But it appears that isn’t the case. In 2020, during the peak of popularity of ‘The Last Dance’, ESPN’s Michael Wilbon revealed on Rich Eisen’s show that Jordan would call him to back off from criticizing LeBron James, praising the young star for being a great player.
“This is an off-the-record thing that he would probably frown on me for telling, but I’m going to tell it. There were times earlier in LeBron’s career, and sort of sprinkled throughout, where people got critical of LeBron.”
“Whether it was ‘The Decision,’ whether it was a play, passing off to Donyell Marshall, whatever. People think Michael Jordan resents LeBron. To me, there’s evidence to the contrary, in that there’d be a phone call.”
“I’d answer the phone, and this is what I’d hear on the other end. ‘Hey, don’t take a shot at LeBron, that’s just garbage. This kid is great. There’s no need to take a shot at him.’”
“That conversation is playing out with him knowing it’s not going to be repeated — it’s not going to be told on PTI, it’s not going to be written about in the Washington Post, or on ESPN.com.”
It appears that much of the narrative surrounding Michael Jordan and LeBron James and their relationship has been exacerbated by the media.
Jordan and LeBron speak highly of each other and consistently put each other over as great players. After winning his fourth NBA championship, LeBron James noted that the media may pedal a narrative, but he admires Michael Jordan a lot, and wouldn’t say anything negative about him.
“You guys know how much I love Michael Jordan. I wear No. 23 because of Michael Jordan… Y’all can do the debates.”
It is good to hear that Jordan would defend a young LeBron James early in his career. Of course, Jordan could relate to LeBron, as he was also targetted by the media and crucified whenever he had a bad performance, and he knows what that can do to a player’s psyche. So for him to come to James’ defense is a classy move.
Jordan Not Happy Being 6-0
In another interview around the same time, Michael Wilbon revealed that Michael Jordan had told him on numerous occasions that he wasn’t satisfied going 6-0 in the NBA Finals. Jordan lamented missed opportunities in his career to win more NBA titles, including the chance to run it back after 1998, when the Bulls had shown they could win it all.
“The shame of ‘The Last Dance’, as Michael says it, ‘we didn’t get the chance’. Everybody who’s ever played basketball on the playground knows this: winners keep playing, winners don’t stop, winners don’t get replaced; the winners keep playing. We got next, they didn’t have next, that’s the chance of ‘The Last Dance’.”
“Michael has told me this a million times, I said ‘Aren’t you satisfied with 6-0?’. ‘No, I wanted to run it back.’ Run it back is a phrase that translates in any language, you stay on the court if you are the winners, and the Bulls management, I don’t know if it’s Krause first, [Jerry] Reinsdorf, they failed that team in that way, they failed Chicago, they failed basketball…”
“You gotta run it back, you gotta give ’em the chance to win that 7th and it wasn’t there. He [Michael] tells you the story of the documentary and he told you right through the end, ‘I wanted to play again.'”
Jordan clearly wanted to continue playing and thought that the Bulls could win their seventh NBA championship in 1999. The Bulls would blow it up, firing Phil Jackson, and trading away Scottie Pippen and other key stars. Jordan would retire in 1998, not returning to basketball until 2001.
One has to imagine how successful Jordan and the Bulls would have been had they kept their team and coach together. Their dynasty could have extended beyond the 90s and into the 2000s if the Bulls’ front office would agree to it. But for now, we can just revel in the glory of the 1990s Chicago Bulls, led by the greatest ever; Michael Jordan.
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