The NBA in the 1990s was dominated by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, who won six titles, becoming one of the greatest teams and dynasties in all of sports. And through it all, they were led by MJ, who entrenched himself as the best player of all time. He remained the undisputed GOAT until LeBron James came along.
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His Airness’ royal status, which had remained intact even as Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant wrote their legacies, was challenged by the King. And for the past decade, the debate has raged on about which No. 23 is better.
Hakeem Olajuwon was famously drafted two picks before Jordan in the 1984 NBA Draft. His Rockets were the beneficiaries when Jordan briefly retired to go play baseball, as they won back-to-back championships sandwiched between two Bulls three-peats. The Dream had some interesting things to say on First Things First Friday morning. not only about his era, but also about the Jordan vs. LeBron debate.
When asked if he thought his Rockets could have beaten the Jordan-led Bulls if they had ever met in the Finals, Olajuwon said, “We played them in the regular season, we didn’t play them in the playoffs. But in the regular season, Chicago, they had trouble playing against Houston. That’s a fact. In the playoffs, things might change, but I’m comfortable with my team that we would do some damage.”
Chris Broussard then asked Olajuwon for his opinion on the GOAT debate. The two-time Finals MVP brought a unique perspective to the question. “You have to say Jordan sealed that debate because of his accomplishments,” said Olajuwon.
“When the NBA grew globally, who was leading that ship at that time? Just like you say, soccer with Pele, a lot of people haven’t seen Pele play, but when you say soccer, they say Pele. So I think in basketball, Jordan carried that crown for sure,” he added.
Olajuwon’s reason for putting Jordan on top is sound, because the game really has become global thanks to his influence. MJ’s greatness transcended what happened on the court and influenced multiple generations, LeBron’s included.
Still, Olajuwon wanted to make it clear that he has great respect for everything LeBron has done. “That’s not taking anything away from LeBron because of his accomplishments, but I think you have to put them separately,” he said.
Basketball fans have been arguing on the Jordan vs. LeBron question for years. But at the end of the day, it will always come down to personal preference.
Jordan had the championships, the global influence, and the aura. LeBron made eight consecutive Finals, and he’s become the game’s all-time leading scorer. When he plays this season, he’ll set the record by playing in his 23rd season… Guess the consensus should be that each player is the GOTE, or Greatest of Their Era.
