MJ vs LeBron

Recently, I’d say easily the last two to three years or so, there has been an active debate about who is the greatest basketball player of all time: Michael Jordan or LeBron James. I have seen memes and video clips arguing the point ad nauseum; it’s my experience that most of these memes and clips are in favor of Michael Jordan, usually propping up how many championships “he” (never the team) won and any number of accolades he won along the way. It’s an argument that has always bothered me but it finally dawned on me WHY it’s bothered me.

Being over the age of 40 I am fortunate enough to have seen Michael Jordan in his prime; as he was winning 3 world championships, then another 3. He retired from basketball to play minor league baseball which would break the internet if it happened today. For many, he’s the greatest who ever played.

But being over the age of 40, it’s worth noting that LeBron James entered the league in 2002. I was a first lieutenant. Since then the NBA has seen a young kid with the manly shoulders looking too old to be 18 to a man in his young 30s who has completely cemented himself as the best player alive today. That he’s maintained the standard of excellence he has for so long is incredible and damn near unheard of.

The most important point I’m trying to demonstrate here is that if you’re my age you have gotten to see two of the best players to EVER play the game of basketball. That is an INCREDIBLE and awesome thing! People should be ecstatic that there’s even someone who could credibly approach the greatness that Michael Jordan reached. And there’s my issue: most people my age have already identified Jordan as THEIR guy; the guy who represents all there is of this period.

This, of course, isn’t new. Each generation picks their leaders or their people they’ll use to represent who they are. These people are always going to be the cream of the cream because there isn’t going to be a generation who doesn’t think their generation wasn’t the best to ever live. I get that. I do.

I just don’t feel like it’s my generation’s time to be settled in like that. Good Lord! I’m 41 years old. Am I supposed to hold up Michael Jordan as my standard for the rest of my life as THE torch bearer, never allowing any other basketball player to have a chance to ascend to that level? That’s so old! That’s so stodgy. That’s not keeping in line with this new age of information where we are supposed to learn and grow and adapt at faster rates than ever…

…and all that said I do get it. In this day and age of more and more information maybe my generation feels OUR time is going to pass by in the blink of an eye. That is something to be upset about, to be angry about. Particularly because it seems like the “Greatest Generation” and “Gen X” have had an inordinate amount of time in the spotlight.

All the more reason, I think, that we should see Michael Jordan and Lebron James in a similar light. That was OUR generation! WE produced the greatest player ever AND the second greatest player! That makes our time even more relevant, right?