Ex-NBA Coach Blames Michael Jordan Reverence For Triggering Unfair LeBron James Criticism

Stan Van Gundy claims LeBron James unfairly bears the brunt from Michael Jordan's worshippers.

5 Min Read

Credit: Fadeaway World

The debate over who is the greatest basketball player of all time, LeBron James or Michael Jordan, has captivated fans, analysts, and athletes for decades now. With different eras, styles of play, and team dynamics, comparing the two legends isn’t as straightforward as you would think. Jordan’s six NBA championships and flawless Finals record contrast with James’ unmatched longevity, versatility, and all-time scoring record. Both have shaped the game in profound ways, building legacies that transcend statistics. 

According to Stan Van Gundy, the former NBA coach who has now turned into a broadcast commentator, feels that this comparison has put James in a vulnerable position. He appeared on ‘Nothing Personal with David Sams’ and expressed his feelings about the negative impact of the comparisons on James’ legacy. Van Gundy believes that people who consider Jordan a god automatically subject James to unfair criticism. 

“LeBron’s gotten a little hate for a long time for a lot of different things. Whether it was his decision to come to Miami that he announced on TV, or whether it was bumping into Eric Spoelstra. Whatever it is, LeBron’s gotten a lot of hate for a guy who’s had the best career of any NBA player, ever. And we can argue who the best player has been in the NBA, but it’s hard to argue that anyone’s had a better career.”

“The most amazing thing to me is, this guy has been a national figure since he’s been in eighth grade. What’s the biggest off-court controversy you’ve got on this guy? This guy has done nothing except represent the game of basketball and the league well. And yet, there’s this hate for him,”

“I have never understood the negativity around him. I think a lot of it was: there are so many people out there who just revered Michael Jordan, and the fact that people would question, ‘Is LeBron as good?’ led to a hatred of LeBron instead of an appreciation of what he’s done. And I think that’s unfortunate.”

In terms of numbers, let’s take a look at a comparison of these careers. 

James played in 22 seasons so far, and while entering his 23rd season now, is averaging 27.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists for his career. In his 10 visits to the NBA Finals, James has a record of 4-6, i.e, four championships and a Finals MVP Award in each of those championships. He also has four regular-season MVP awards. 

Jordan played only 15 seasons in the NBA and averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.3 steals for his career. In his six visits to the NBA Finals, he never lost a single series and had a 6-0 record in the Finals, with a Finals MVP award in each of those seasons. He had five regular-season MVP awards, one more than James.

In my opinion, when you’re at the top of the mountain, people will always try to knock you down. When Jordan was the best player active in the league, from opposing teams’ physicality to his off-the-court controversies with gambling, all the forces were in play to push him down.

Similarly, James has dominated for so long that, despite being 40 years old, teams fear playing against him. Therefore, he is subject to this much criticism because he is dominating at this age. Once he retires, all the active NBA drama will be out of the picture, and the only thing that will count when the dust settles is that James had one of the best careers in NBA history and will get the respect he deserves after he retires.

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Chaitanya Dadhwal is an NBA Analyst and Columnist at Fadeaway World from New Delhi, India. He fell in love with basketball in 2018 after seeing James Harden in his prime. He joined the sports journalism world in 2021, one year before finishing his law school in 2022. He attended Jindal Global Law School in Sonipat, India, where his favorite subject was also Sports Law.He transitioned from law to journalism after realizing his true passion for sports and basketball in particular. Even though his journalism is driven by his desire to understand both sides of an argument and give a neutral perspective, he openly admits he is biased towards the Houston Rockets and Arsenal. But that intersection of in-depth analysis and passion helps him simplify the fine print and complex language for his readers.His goal in life is to open his own sports management agency one day and represent athletes. He wants to ensure he can help bridge the gap in equal opportunity for athletes across various sports and different genders playing the same sport.
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