Michael Jordan gave New York Knicks fans nightmares during his career, but even that trauma wasn’t going to stop an Italian fan from declaring that he is the greatest of all time. A clip went viral on Instagram of a daughter telling her father, who supports the Knicks, that LeBron James is better than Jordan, and he explained why he isn’t.
“Not in your lifetime, not in anybody’s lifetime,” the man said. “Michael Jordan, six Finals, six championships. Only guy to walk away from the game at his peak, come back, and still be the best in the game for three more years. They might have won eight in a row.
“The man was the greatest player in my lifetime,” the man continued. “And let me tell you, I seen Jerry West, I seen Wilt Chamberlain. The only one I didn’t see [was] Bill Russell, and Bill Russell without question could be considered the greatest of all time because he won 11 titles in 13 years.
“But let me tell you right now,” the man added. “Michael Jordan, six Finals, six championships, six MVPs. Nobody f***ing beats Michael Jordan, and I’m not even a Bulls fan. I’m a Knicks fan and that f***er broke my heart every time.”
The Knicks were the team that Jordan tormented the most in his career. He and the Chicago Bulls eliminated them from the playoffs in 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1996.
The Knicks did beat the Bulls in seven games in the 1994 Eastern Conference semifinals, but that was after Jordan retired for the first time in 1993. Normal service was resumed when the teams met in 1996 following his return.
Jordan being able to pick up right from where he left off after retiring in 1993 is another sign of his greatness, according to this individual. He led the Bulls to a three-peat from 1991 to 1993 and then from 1996 to 1998. Some believe they would have won in 1994 and 1995 as well if he hadn’t retired, but we’ll never know for sure.
In all, Jordan won six titles, six Finals MVPs, five MVPs, one DPOY, and 10 scoring titles in his career. He went a perfect 6-0 in the NBA Finals and is still widely regarded as the greatest ever.
That said, James has put together a solid case for that title as well, and a growing number are starting to believe he should rank above Jordan. He has won four titles, four Finals MVPs, four MVPs, a scoring title, and an assists title. James is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, and his longevity is simply remarkable.
We compared Jordan and James’ careers, and the former still comes out on top over the latter. It’s not by a big margin, though, and James still has a little bit of time on his hands to close the gap. Will he? Well, only time will tell.
The GOAT debates will rage on in the meantime, but Kyrie Irving is sick of them. He doesn’t care who the greatest player ever is and added that basketball is bigger than that. Irving’s vocal dislike for the debate is unlikely to sway the masses, though.
