The LeBron James – Michael Jordan discussion appears to be a never-ending debate, even between those close to them. While it’s difficult to say either opinion is outright wrong, comparisons between the two legends have become tired and overdone as LeBron continues to dominate into his 40s. That hasn’t stopped both MJ’s former agent, David Falk, and LBJ’s agent, Rich Paul, from engaging in a proxy war.
Advertisement
Paul was prompted to make his own statement after Falk called out LeBron’s free agency decisions. Unlike Jordan, who stuck with the Chicago Bulls for the entirety of his prime, James has won championships with three different franchises. Falk acknowledged that he likes LeBron, but he also believes MJ would’ve won even more if he were able to hand-pick his squad and teammates like the four-time MVP has.
Following Falk’s bold statement, Paul couldn’t help but fire back with his own. James’ longtime agent shared his distaste for revisionist history while also calling Falk’s bias toward the Bulls legend. LeBron has certainly played in a more player-friendly era of the NBA, but Jordan wasn’t forced to question his franchise’s leadership nearly as much as James.
“I just thought that was a little beneath David to say that … Michael never had to leave … Michael’s never been the underdog in any Finals. Not one time,” Paul responded. “Michael never had a 24-hour, 365-day news cycle. He never had shows built strictly to criticize him. People made millions of dollars criticizing LeBron. That was their entire job.”
Paul also acknowledged the all-time coaches Jordan played under, namely Dean Smith and Phil Jackson. Meanwhile, the best coach LeBron has had in his career is undoubtedly Eric Spoelstra, with the drop off to Tyronn Lue being quite substantial. To Stephen A. Smith, though, Paul’s points didn’t matter as the longtime sports personality believed his statement was ridiculous.
Stephen A. was quick to call out Paul’s words on First Take. “What the hell do you mean, Rich Paul? What shows are built strictly to criticize LeBron? See, this is the BS … We cover the sport. It’s a 24-hour news cycle. That are plenty of positive things that are said about LeBron James on every show. Every show,” Smith fired back.
While many fans would say First Take and Skip Bayless’ Undisputed certainly toed the line, Stephen A.’s point does hold some water. There is no “LeBron Hate Show” on ESPN or otherwise. The social media era has certainly made it harder for players to ignore the outside noise, but it’s clear Paul was exaggerating in his rebuttal.
Paul is simultaneously also right, in his own way. Stephen A. has talked down on LeBron’s game on several occasions. The two even had a personal spat earlier this season when Smith publicized their 1-on-1 conversation. But, even the 57-year-old has given credit credit the four-time champion from time to time.
Smith is nowhere near the level of Bayless, however, who often saves his criticisms strictly for LeBron. Meanwhile, Stephen A. isn’t afraid to call out any player in the association. James just happens to be the topic of discussion that gets more engagement than any other star in the NBA, and engagement will always be Smith’s top priority as an entertainer first and analyst second.
