A lot has been said about Michael Jordan and the big hits he had to take during his era, especially from the ‘Bad Boys’ Detroit Pistons. MJ was eliminated by the Pistons in three consecutive seasons until he said it was enough, went to the gym to get more muscle and returned stronger to not only beat but sweep the Pistons in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals.
Plenty of people have stated that’s a big advantage of MJ over LeBron James, the other player who’s always in most of the GOAT conversations. Fans believe LBJ wouldn’t be as good during the 90s as he is today, but for ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, that’s not true. However, SAS says wouldn’t win a title if he played in Jordan’s era.
“He [LeBron] is a career 27, 7 and 7 performer. I think in that era, he would have averaged a little bit less in points, significantly more in assists but he also would struggle with the free-throw line. I think the free-throw line would have been an impediment for him. Overall, his numbers would have been about the same. LeBron would have been a superstar in any era, but the champion that he is, na, na, na, na.
“He’s an affable leader, he’s the kind of guy that gets along with a lot of dudes, they got a lot of love for him. He’s not that maniacal dude, in your face–ok, you got cats that are scared of him. LeBron would have done what he does as an individual, nobody would have stopped that, but his ability to combine the shoots around him to be a bunch of rough riders to handle an era like that, I don’t believe that would have been the case.”
That’s exactly what people have been telling recently. LeBron in the 90s would have been a star, but only that, another Charles Barkley, if you will. MJ went against everybody and he didn’t stop until he beat them, becoming the greatest player ever in the process. Still, there is no telling if this is completely true, but for Stephen A., the picture is pretty clear.
