- LeBron James was expected to be a franchise player even as a rookie
- Michael Jordan didn’t believe LeBron could be a franchise player as a rookie
- Jordan and LeBron shared the floor twice, but not in an official NBA game
LeBron James was one of, if not the most scouted prospect to ever enter an NBA Draft. This is remarkable, especially since LeBron skipped college and entered the NBA as an 18-year-old high school graduate.
Many people believed LeBron would be a franchise player, even as a rookie, but there was one person who disagreed with this. The person who believed there was “Not a chance” LeBron could be a franchise player as a rookie was Michael Jordan.
“That’s a tough label to give a kid at 18. It depends on how well he adapts,” Jordan explained about LeBron. “And don’t just think of the offensive end. Defensively, I wouldn’t say that’s his strong area right now.
“He may think he’s great enough to be on this level now,” Jordan said. “But when he gets on this level and plays against guys who’ve been competitive and very good on this level, he’s going to find it’s a big difference from that 5-10 high school kid.”
These were certainly tough words from Jordan, but there may be a reason behind it. This interview occurred back in the 2002-03 season, and drafting high school bust Kwame Brown was still fresh on his mind.
Jordan did believe in LeBron’s potential, especially if he stayed dedicated to his craft.
“If he takes on the dedication of being the best basketball player he can be and continues to improve and accept challenges and not get comfortable with what’s been given to him or what the expectations may be, he could definitely be a good pro.”
Jordan may be considered the greatest player to play in the NBA, but his management skills have been questioned throughout his post-playing career.
Jordan was the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets for 13 seasons, and his team compiled a record of 423-600. This includes the worst season in NBA history, going 7-59 in the 2011-12 lockout-shortened season.
Jordan’s Hornets only reached the playoffs three times. All three times, the Hornets in the first round and two resulted in being swept out of the playoffs. This includes losing to the LeBron James-led Miami Heat in the 2014 NBA Playoffs.
Still, Jordan made out okay with the Hornets. Jordan recently sold his majority stake in the Hornets for about $3 billion.
Today, at age 60, Jordan has a net worth of $3.5 billion. It’s safe to say MJ is a G.O.A.T. both on and off the basketball court.
Michael Jordan Was Right Or Wrong About Rookie LeBron James?
LeBron James, of course, turned out to be more than just a good pro. He’s constantly being compared to Jordan and is MJ’s number-one challenger for the title of NBA G.O.A.T.
In his rookie season, LeBron averaged 20.9 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game. He went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award.
As of last season, LeBron is the top scorer in NBA history. King James finished the 2022-23 season with 38,652 career points, and he doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
On top of his incredible scoring, LeBron has won four NBA championships, four Finals MVPs, and four MVPS to go along with a scoring and an assist title. LeBron has also made 19 All-NBA Team selections and 19 All-Star selections.
It’s safe to say Michael Jordan was wrong about LeBron James as a rookie. For everyone else many believed LeBron would become a great player, but no one could have predicted the career he has had.
Michael Jordan And LeBron James Played On The Same Team In 2003
LeBron James and Michael Jordan are always being compared to each other. They’re also always being put against each other in hypothetical matchups.
These, of course, are not real, as Jordan has never played against LeBron in an NBA game. But the two have shared the floor together twice, in fact. These were not official NBA matchups, but when you have two generational G.O.A.T.s sharing the floor together, it’s a big deal.
The first time the two legends were together on a basketball court was when LeBron was 16 and a sophomore in high school. The details of whether LeBron played with or against MJ hasn’t been really established, but it has been said the two were opponents.
LeBron was 16 years old and didn’t see much playing time at that time.
Bron says he got to play pickup against MJ when he was 16 years old.
MJ hit the game-winner and reportedly said "That's why they pay me $33M to do this." 😤
(via @uninterrupted) https://t.co/U6Kpn2qElS
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 19, 2020
“They didn’t let me play for like the first hour. A young guy sitting there just waiting my turn. The only reason I played is because the guys that were in the league, you know, after a few hours, some of them get tired, they’re like, ‘I’m done with this sh*t, hey young fella, we need a fill, you wanna play?'”
LeBron played sparingly. It’s not known if LeBron scored, let alone took a shot, but what is known is Jordan nailed the game-winner.
At the pickup game were other NBA stars, like Paul Pierce, Ron Artest, Penny Hardaway, and Jamal Crawford. Antoine Walker was also there, and he and Jordan served as team captains.
“Him [Jordan] and Antoine Walker were talking so much s***. Him and Antoine Walker was just talking so much sh** back and forth, back and forth,” LeBron said.
If there’s one thing you don’t do, that’s talk trash to Michael Jordan. So, as expected, Jordan took over to prove a point to Walker.
After hitting the game-winner, Jordan reportedly had something slick to say to Walker. MJ said, “Yeah, that’s why they pay me $33 million to do this.”
The next time Jordan and LeBron shared the floor was when LeBron was a rookie, and he attended Jordan’s basketball camp. This time around, the two were definitely teammates, and they didn’t lose a single game during the entire run.
“I was on a team with MJ, and we didn’t lose a game,” LeBron said.
As all the talk continues to be about who is the G.O.A.T, Michael Jordan or LeBron James, remember this: they’re both G.O.A.T.s in their own way. It’s time fans appreciate what Jordan has done in the league and what LeBron continues to do.
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