Over the years, we have seen numerous bizarre analogies to capture the essence of the Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James GOAT debate. Colin Cowherd added another one to the list by comparing both legends to popular TV shows.
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Cowherd began a segment of his talk show, “The Herd”, by admitting to being amazed by James’ historic 35-point triple-double on Wednesday night’s win vs. the Grizzlies. After applauding the Los Angeles Lakers superstar for becoming the oldest player to record three consecutive triple-doubles, the Fox Sports analyst brought MJ into the conversation.
He counted LBJ’s longevity to be a big part of his success and compared it to the long-running show “Law & Order”. On the other hand, Jordan was equated to “Seinfeld”, which was peak TV for nine years in the nineties.
“Michael Jordan was more like Seinfeld. Nine great years, highly impactful, still discussed today. LeBron’s become Law and Order. We’re on year 35. I watched an episode two days ago, it still crushes,” Cowherd said.
“I know Michael played 15 seasons and many of them were great, but he was a shell of himself at the end. LeBron’s in year 22, on any possession, best player on the floor in any game,” he added.
“Michael Jordan was more like Seinfeld — 9 great years, highly impactful and still discussed today. LeBron’s become Law & Order. We’re on year 35. I watched an episode two days ago, it still crushes.”
— @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/53UWvkWH7Z
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) November 14, 2024
As baffling as the comparison may seem, Cowherd justifies it with great reasoning.
Seinfeld aired from 1989 to 1998, around the same time as Michael Jordan was dominating the league. Even though it has been over 25 years since Seinfeld last aired, people still watch it and talk about it. Just like Seinfeld, Jordan is still relevant today despite hanging up his boots more than 20 years ago. The Bulls legend also had his period of dominance like Jerry Seinfeld’s show, when no competition could even come close to him.
On the other hand, Law and Order debuted in 1990 and ran till 2010. After that, it returned in 2022 and has been going strong. There have been 24 seasons, and the show still finds a way to keep its audience hooked. Similarly, LeBron James is in his 22nd season and is still arguably the key attraction for the Lakers. Even though there are times when he’s not the best in the league, Bron still manages to be consistently great.
“LeBron’s easily got the best resume in the history of basketball”: Colin Cowherd
From 1984-1998, Jordan participated in 11 seasons (was injured, retired, or joined mid-season for the remaining three campaigns) and was undeniably the best player in the league in almost ever full season he played.
One might argue that Jordan’s 11-year period of dominance is greater than any of James’ best decade-long stretch. But overall, the King has made his bid for the GOAT title based on his body of work.
James might not be the more dominant player of the two, Cowherd even said that superstars like Jokic, Antetokounmpo, and Anthony Edwards can best the King on their best day. But by being in the prime of his game for the past 22 years, the four-time NBA Champion has been able to rack up one of the most decorated trophy cabinets across all sports.
“LeBron’s easily got the best resume in the history of basketball,” said Cowherd.
James will soon turn 40, and there is still no sign of him slowing down. One can safely assume that he adds a couple of more All-Star and All-NBA selections to his stacked resume, further solidifying his claim to the GOAT title.
