Lakers legend LeBron James decided to turn down Michael Jordan’s help and chose to seek guidance from MJ’s rival Hakeem Olajuwon.
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The rivalry between Michael Jordan and LeBron James is a unique one. Despite having never shared the hardwood, the duo has been compared a lot by fans, players, and media members alike as the greatest ever to do it. In fact, basketball fans spend a majority of their making a case for each of them as the greatest player of all time.
However, there was a time was LeBron’s greatness was seriously in question. After a tough few years in Cleveland, many had doubts about whether he was the Chosen One. In fact, none other than Michael Jordan offered to guide a young LeBron.
Furthermore, the pressure on him piled up even more after he joined Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in South Beach. To make matters worse, The King crumbled under the pressure and lost the finals to Dirk Nowitzki’s Dallas Mavericks in 2011.
“That s–t burns me to this day.”
LeBron on the Mavericks’ Game 2 comeback in the 2011 NBA Finals pic.twitter.com/lCPaUoUTNc
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 1, 2020
Following the defeat, many doubted the 18x All-star and he was against the ropes. No one knew about pressure and how to handle it better than Michael Jordan, and he even offered to help and guide LBJ. However, the King turned him down, and instead, turned toward MJ’s rival.
LeBron James consults Hakeem Olajuwon instead of Michael Jordan.
Entering the league as an 18-year-old, the pressure and spotlight was on LeBron James. In fact, none other than Michael Jordan even offered to mentor a young LeBron. Looking back on it, The King has surpassed those expectations. With that in mind, there have been instances in his illustrious career, where his back was against the wall. One such instance was after the loss in the 2011 Finals to the Mavs despite being overwhelming favourites.
Following the defeat, LeBron James went to see Hakeem Olajuwon, instead of going to Jordan, who had offered him help. In a recent interview, journalist Jackie MacMullan talked about the same –
“Michael Jordan went to a young LeBron James and said just like Dr J said to him. If you ever need anything, call. And in our series, Jordan says, and to his credit, Jordan gets it, because he is not offended by that.”
“Let’s not forget that after that horrific series against Dallas in the finals when we are all wondering, wow, maybe LeBron James is a mirage after all. Where did he go? You know where he went. He went down to see Hakeem Olajuwon.“
According to Jackie MacMullan, Michael Jordan once gave LeBron James his phone number
LeBron never called 😬
(Via The Ringer / h/t @Sportskeeda ) pic.twitter.com/x65Eulm2jU
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) March 29, 2022
What makes this story even more captivating is that Jordan and Hakeem were rivals during their playing days. In fact, the Rockets big man won 2 championships and an MVP when MJ called it quits in order to pursue baseball. Knowing His Airness, it would have clearly p***ed him off when he came to know that LeBron went to his direct rival for help.
Moreover, it seems like Hakeem’s advice worked wonders for the King, as he went on to win back-to-back championships with the Heat, and cemented his place as one of the GOATS of the game.
