Is it worse to lose the NBA Finals or not reach them at all? That’s a common topic that comes up in LeBron James versus Michael Jordan debates. And because of it, both their championship wins are often heavily scrutinized, with Aries Spears landing the latest blow on James.
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Jordan, of course, retired with six NBA championships, while LeBron has four. On paper, that makes the Chicago Bulls icon the more successful player. However, James has reached the Finals 10 times, a feat that speaks to his longevity and consistency. Another way to view it, though, is that LeBron has lost six Finals, while Jordan never lost a single one.
But Spears didn’t even have to bring that part up. He simply spoke about the way Jordan won his six titles and explained why it was more commendable.
About James’ four rings, Spears stated, “It’s how he got them… One of them in the bubble; the other one, Ray Allen, saved you. Some could argue that Kyrie saved you. Who saved Jordan?”
Unsurprisingly, the host brought up Scottie Pippen’s name when Spears asked that question, and the famed comedian was forced to agree, somewhat. He argued that Jordan needed that “one-two punch” but never had to rely too much on others around him.
Spears, however, stood firm on his argument that Jordan’s championship wins were far more impressive. And it’s something many have claimed in recent years.
The points laid out by the 50-year-old aren’t ridiculous, but they’re things that Jordan fans blow out of proportion. Yes, there was no crowd in the bubble, and the intensity wasn’t the same as it was in a regular season. But James and the Los Angeles Lakers were playing extraordinarily well even before the COVID safety measures were put in place.
It wasn’t just James who was playing in the bubble. Every other player from every other team was. They had the same resources at their disposal to go for the win. But they didn’t, and James did.
About Ray Allen, Spears was referring to Game 6 of the 2013 Finals when the Miami Heat were down by three points (and 3-2 overall) with just 5.2 seconds to go. James had missed a shot, and it was all down to Allen, who got a rebound from Chris Bosh and converted a shot from downtown to make it even. James’ Heat won in overtime.
It was a crucial moment, and without Allen’s shot, it’s fair to say James might not have won that year. But dismissing everything LeBron did and claiming he was simply “saved” by Allen is an unfair way to look at it. The same goes for Kyrie Irving, who, as some like Spears claim, played a bigger role in the Cavaliers’ 2016 championship win.
