Having Played Extensively with Michael Jordan and LeBron James, Larry Hughes Outlines Key Differences Between Their Trash Talk

The comparisons between Michael Jordan and LeBron James are never ending. Over the years, people have analyzed their game, their positions on the GOAT list, their mentality, Championship wins and so much more. Recently, Larry Hughes talked about how the two superstars approached trash talking, while outlining the key differences in them.

The trash talking techniques that Jordan and LBJ used were not only reserved for their opponents, but they also used them to fire up their teammates and get the best out of them. Hughes is one of four NBA athletes who has had the opportunity to be a teammates of both LeBron and MJ. So he is easily able to paint an accurate picture about their different personalities.

During a conversation with HoopsHype, Hughes recalled what it was like to get blasted by two of the best the game has ever seen. The major point Hughes listed out was that LBJ is more tongue in cheek about his trash-talking and doesn’t really say things with his chest. On the other hand, Jordan was quite ferocious in his approach, even while talking to his teammates.

Hughes said, “Bron would talk trash and make comments in a joking fashion, but MJ had this way of being really aggressive with the trash talk and really using body language and everything to really get his point across.”

“He [ML] seemed to be serious, but he may or may not have been. Maybe he was just trying to pull those things out of his teammates and out of his peers. But he just had this way about him you to really understand that he was the greatest,” the 45-year-old added.

This really reinforces the disparate personalities the NBA world knows LeBron and MJ to have. While Jordan would push himself and everyone on the court to their absolute limit, Bron would rather crack jokes and compliment his teammates to get the best out of them. Their trash-talking, hence, reflects their different personalities and proves, greatness is not a one way street.

Michael Jordan never hesitated to go against anyone

While we can find several parallels in their games, comparing Jordan’s trash talk to LeBron’s is like comparing apples to oranges. The latter believes in responding back to his detractors with a win or a solid performance, but Jordan added some stinging comments on top of it. Last season, LeBron had Dillon Brooks going at him in every other game they played against one another. When the Lakers superstar was asked by Melissa Rohlin of Fox Sports as to when he will respond to that, he had said, “There will be a time when everybody will get it,” after initially struggling to comeback with a response.

Jordan, on the other hand, was a different beast, because he never backed down from anything. During an appearance on All The Smoke podcast, Muggsy Bogues once said that the great man loved messing with him on the court. Since Bogues is 5’3, Jordan called him a ‘lil fella‘. And to tease him further, he would put his hands up and ask Bogues to give him a high five.