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“There will never be another Michael Jordan”: Kyrie Irving agrees with the Bulls legend himself that the ‘GOAT’ will never be replicated within the NBA

Samir Mehdi
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“There will never be another Michael Jordan”: Kyrie Irving agrees with the Bulls legend himself that the ‘GOAT’ will never be replicated within the NBA

Kyrie Irving agrees with Michael Jordan saying that there will never be anybody else in the future of the NBA who will be like him. 

Michael Jordan came into the league as a 28 points per game scorer. He scored 45 points in merely his ninth game as a professional basketball player and vaulted himself into the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson conversation of ‘who is the best player in the NBA’ in only a few seasons time. 

It’s safe to say that Michael Jordan was a one-of-one. His departure from the league had fans craving the second coming of ‘His Airness’ and the label of ‘The next Michael Jordan’ was bestowed upon guys like Kobe Bryant and Grant Hill; players who had the mentality and the skill to be the face of the league one day.

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In an interview in 1998, his final season with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan talked about this particular narrative the media was trying to string together at the time. 

Michael Jordan addressed the ‘next MJ’ narrative and Kyrie Irving puts in his own 2 cents. 

In the aforementioned interview, Michael Jordan acknowledged that youngsters like Kobe and Hill were catapulted into that conversation but also stated that there never be another player quite like him. Kyrie Irving took notice of this on Instagram and commented, “I see no lies here.”

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It’s difficult to argue with Irving here on this as he’s absolutely right. Sure, Kobe Bryant did get quite close to MJ in terms of playstyle and even the mindset with which they approached the game of basketball within the league. However, comparing their accolades would give Jordan the utmost advantage in that department. 

Perhaps we may get another player who’s, not only as good as Michael Jordan but better, in the future. For now, he’s the undisputed ‘greatest of all time’ in most people’s book. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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