Don’t let ‘The Last Dance’ fool you..

We're back! I know it's been a long time since there's been a new post on The Sports Opinion, but I thought now would be a perfect time.

As you may have seen, the Michael Jordan documentary “The Last Dance” just ended to rave reviews. Not only did people absolutely love it, but it reminded them how great Jordan truly was.

This has lead many people to say things such as this:

“If you are not legally blind and you watch this 10 hours and don’t realize this is the greatest player of all time, you should probably start watching roller derby.”

- David Falk, Michael Jordan’s former agent

Many people are taking this viewpoint, using the documentary to try to solidify Michael Jordan’s case for being the greatest of all time.

This documentary, and the fact that the 2019-2020 season was put on pause, may have caused people to forget the TRUE greatest of all time: LeBron James.

When having a GOAT debate between MJ and LeBron, the first thing that is going to be said for Jordan’s case is that he has more rings and a better record in The Finals. This is definitely true, but it just doesn’t tell the whole story.

Before Jordan had Scottie Pippen, Jordan had a 1-9 playoff record. In the late 80s, the Pistons were winning championships and beating the Bulls every year.

Yes, MJ was undefeated in The Finals, but that also ignores the fact that he didn’t even make it to The Finals for his first several years until he had Pippen.

When LeBron made it to the Finals against the Spurs in 2007, the Cavs were easily swept. But the fact that they even made it is a miracle in itself. Look at this graphic:

This was actually used as promotion during the Finals! The Spurs had one of the best big three’s in NBA history, while I bet you can’t name anyone on the Cavs side except for LeBron without looking it up.

Outside of his time in Miami, LeBron has had to carry every team he has been on. Both times after LeBron left Cleveland, the Cavs were one of the worst teams in the league. When Jordan retired the first time, the Bulls won 55 games.

Another reason LeBron has been at a disadvantage is because he has never had a great coach. Michael Jordan had one of the greatest coaches of all time in Phil Jackson. LeBron has carried relatively new head coaches such as Eric Spoelstra and Ty Lue to championships.

Furthermore, LeBron has averaged more assists and rebounds per game than Jordan. And even though most people will agree that Jordan is a better scorer, LeBron already has more points than Jordan and may have the most points of all time by the end of his career.

In regards to athleticism, LeBron is just a different animal. He’s taller, faster, and stronger than Jordan ever was. It can also be said that he has a higher basketball IQ.

Jordan is truly great, and his competitiveness will always be legendary. But at the end of the day, don’t forget who they call the king.