Michael Jordan Vs. Lebron James

Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James

"You only need to watch Michael Jordan in the court to know why he is called Ldquo; His Airness. A phenomenal athlete who seems to literally soar to the hoop, he is generally considered the greatest basketball player of all time," is what was said about Michael Jordan from the Biography of Michael Jordan on A&E Television Network. Since his first retirement twelve years ago, the NBA has been searching for a player to fill Jordan's shoes and bring the glamour back to the league (Gregory 58). That is until the coming of 6 foot 8 inch high school phenom, LeBron James. Even though James's statistics are comparable to Jordan's at his age, only time will tell if LeBron has what it takes to lead his team to win NBA championships.

Michael Jordan was born in Wilmington, North Carolina on February 17, 1963. He was cut from his high school team as a sophomore, but played on the team his junior and senior year. Jordan was awarded a scholarship to the University of North Carolina in 1981, where he played for three years, leading UNC to a national championship ("Michael Jordan" 60).

LeBron James was born in Akron, Ohio on December 30, 1984. He attended Saint Vincent Saint Mary's High School in Akron, while winning 3 state championships and becoming a national celebrity by the time he was a high school senior. He was on the covers of ESPN the magazine and Sports Illustrated where they labeled him "The One" comparing him to the great Michael Jordan. After high school, unlike Jordan, LeBron chose to bypass the college level and enter the NBA draft (Davis 24).

Michael Jordan chose to skip his senior year at UNC and entered the draft in 1984 (Jordan 60). He was passed up by the Houston Rockets, the Portland Trailblazers, and was finally chosen third overall by the Chicago Bills. He averaged more than twenty points, five rebounds, and five assists a game, winning Rookie of the Year honor (Gregory 58). Jordan found much success in the NBA, winning three straight NBA championships from 1991-1993 before he retired due to the murder of his father. He returned to the bulls in 1995 and "three-peated" once again from 1996-1998. After he retired again in 1999, he became the part owner of the Washington Wizards franchise. Once again, Jordan did not stay retired for long. He sold his shares, and joined the Wizards in September of 1999 for the league veteran minimum (Michael Jordan 60). Jordan, now retired for good, will surely be a first ballad hall of fame inductee.

"The influence of LeBron James on the game of basketball was preordained," says hall of fame NBA player Oscar Robertson (94). Some people feel that he is so popular because of they hype that surrounded him before he was drafted. After all, he signed an endorsement deal with Nike