Basketball

“Michael Jordan never went up against a superstar besides an older Magic Johnson”: When Nick Young drew comparison between LeBron James’ 2020 title to MJ’s 6 rings

Advait Jajodia
|PublishedJul 26, 2022

“Michael Jordan never went up against a superstar besides an older Magic Johnson”: When Nick Young drew comparison between LeBron James’ 2020 title to MJ’s 6 rings

When the LeBron James-led 2020 Lakers won the Finals vs the Heat, Nick Young took shots at Michael Jordan, stating how he never had to face a superstar in the finals besides an “older” Magic Johnson.

Several basketball enthusiasts believe that LeBron James had a pretty easy route to his 4^th ring. The 2019-2020 Lakers finished the regular season with a 52-19 record. Entering the playoffs as the #1 seeded team, the Purple & Gold handed a gentlemen’s sweep to the Blazers, the Rockets, and the Nuggets. Eventually, in the finals, the LA-based team defeated Jimmy Butler’s Miami Heat 4-2.

During that finals series, Nick Young spoke about Bron playing against a non-superstar team in the finals for the first time, and compared the same situation with Michael Jordan.

According to Young, the Bulls legend never went up against any superstar in the finals, besides an “older” Magic Johnson. This is what Nick tweeted:

Also Read: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Stephen Curry – the only players to win 65+ games in 3 different seasons

NBA Twitter blasted Nick Young for stating that Michael Jordan never faced a superstar in the finals

“His Airness” led the Chicago Bulls to 6 final appearances. During their first three-peat, the Bulls faced Magic Johnson’s Lakers in the 1991 Finals, Clyde Drexler’s Blazers in the 1992 Finals, and Charles Barkley’s Suns in the 1993 Finals. During their second three-peat, the Bulls defeated Gary Payton’s SuperSonics in the 1996 Finals and Karl Malone’s Jazz in the 1997 & 1998 Finals.

To state that MJ never faced a superstar, Nick Young was simply wrong. And NBA Twitter decided to rip him apart for his awful take.

Considering opponents as a factor in the GOAT debate never seemed logical, and will continue to be somewhat irrelevant.

Also Read: Tom Brady could follow the LeBron James, Michael Jordan route to turn his $250 million net worth to $1 billion

About the author

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia, a seasoned NBA journalist, has had a passion for the game for over a decade. His journey from admiring Kobe Bryant's precision to being in awe of Stephen Curry's long-range mastery instilled a profound understanding of basketball. With a background as a two-time National-level player, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood to offer insightful analysis. Over three years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 21-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 3,350+ articles.