Storyline: When you want to talk about chasing “The Ghost from Chicago,” Mr. James, I think you were misquoted. It should’ve said that you’re chasing “The G.O.A.T. from Chicago!”
It takes a lot to get me revved up and ready for a throw down. But when I heard the ridiculous statement by LeBron James about chasing “The Ghost from Chicago,” I said to my 14-year-old son, Jalen: “Enough is enough!”
Lakers’ great, Jerry West (photo, nextimpulsesports.com)
First of all I want to give all of my readers a quick history lesson. Consider these names…. Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Jerry West, Stephen Curry, Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, Kevin Durant, Allen Iverson, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Stockton and Malone, and the list goes on.
Do you know what all of these great players have in common? It’s the one thing that prohibits them (in my opinion) from ever being considered the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time)?
They’ve all lost in the NBA Finals.
I can hear outcry from miles away. But let’s face it: the pinnacle in professional basketball is the NBA Finals, where the Glory of Victory and the Agony of Defeat sometimes go hand-in-hand. Well, not every “great player” has experienced the Agony of Defeat when it comes to the NBA Finals. There’s one who hasn’t.
Did anyone bother to find that one legend, that iconic player who’s one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players…and the one player most certainly on EVERYONE’S list (yes, even for diehard Knicks fans)?
Courtesy: awesomeish.com
That player is none other than Michael Jeffrey Jordan! He had 6 Final’s appearances, 6 championship rings! ZERO LOSSES in the Finals!
So when I heard LeBron James talking nonsense about chasing that “Ghost from Chi Town,” I just had to break out my laptop and toss in my two cents.
First of all, Mr. James, you’ve long ago lost that race. You lost your first Final’s appearance in 2007 to the San Antonio Spurs. No one in their right mind gave your weak Cavaliers squad a chance against the “Big Fundamental” and his Spurs. That sweep was expected, my friend!
Second of all, your great accomplishment of making it to the Finals six times is dwarfed by the fact that your record in the Finals is 3-3! Historians of the game care less about the regular season. It’s about what you do when the stakes are highest, when everything is on the line, and you’re playing for all the marbles.
LeBron, once you hang up your Nike’s for good, you’ll undoubtedly be mentioned as ONE of the greatest of all time. But you didn’t deliver in the clutch on THREE occasions, which means you’re officially and forever out of that G.O.A.T. discussion–along with all of those other “greats” mentioned earlier in this article.
Courtesy: hiphopwired.com
“Greatest” is defined as “chief or preeminent over others.” When you lose, Mr. James, you are not chief or preeminent. To add another insult to your injury, LeBron, Michael Jordan NEVER played in a seventh game in an NBA Finals. His desire, determination, will, and guile wouldn’t allow it to get that far. Jordan was an ASSASSIN!
Let’s not dare get into stats, LeBron. But let’s just take a quick glance at ONE astonishing season for M.J., in 1988. Michael led the league in scoring and steals per game, won the league’s Most Valuable Player award, won the League’s Defensive Player of the Year award, and won the All-Star Game’s Most Valuable Player award. That’s just ONE season of excellence, LeBron James!
Michael Jordan was First Team All-NBA Defense an astonishing NINE times! Lebron James, Six! For all of his athletic prowess LeBron James has NEVER led the league in steals! He has NEVER won Defensive Player of the Year! Whether it was during years when he won championships or not, Lebron James has ONE scoring title to his name! His Airness has TEN!
USA Today
For those who want to argue about how LeBron James is a more complete player than Jordan, check career stats. LeBron James is 25, 7, and 6. Michael Jordan is 30, 6, and 5! Michael Jordan has only GOLD Medals from the Olympics. LeBron James has two Golds and a Bronze.
When you want to talk about chasing The Ghost from Chicago, Mr. James, I think you were misquoted. It should’ve said that you’re chasing The G.O.A.T. from Chicago!
