Here's Why Michael Jordan Is Undisputedly The Greatest Basketball Player In NBA History
Greatness, as we all come to perceive it, cannot be measured. We throw around the term "Greatest of all Time" so loosely these days, you couldn't possibly settle on one argument that isn't disputed. Whether it's music, acting, writing or whatever else, usually personal taste can tip the scale and strip a truly worthy person of a title that could immortalize their name and their achievements throughout history.
There is, however, an area that could defy that biased ranking system, and that's sports. No matter what team or player you're rooting for, statistics don't conform to personal tastes or loyalties. So at the risk of sounding like a broken record: The numbers never lie.
We can objectively state facts according to a merit-based ranking system where reliable data is accumulated over time. No one could deny that this team defeated that one, or that this player scores more, or runs faster than that other guy.
Michael Jordan, who is probably the biggest household name in sports, joined the Chicago Bulls in 1984 from North Carolina but would not see a championship trophy until 1991. He would go on to become the benchmark for greatness in his professional career in the NBA, and would lead the Bulls to six championships in the '90s, demonstrating a champion's mentality that's unparalleled to this day. His scoring records, MVP records, among others, still hold to this very day.
What stands out as amazing is not just the records that he broke or the championships he brought home, but rather the shadow he would cast over the NBA that would forbid nearly any other talent in his era from seeing the light of day. It might be sad for most of those elite basketball players, but history will probably forget the majority that competed between 1984 and 1998, because Jordan was leagues ahead of anyone else in accomplishments and fame.
Not to diminish the opponents that he faced, as Jordan himself will speak about the difficulty of the Bulls' journey and the adversity they overcame to win those championships — but the truth remains that when Jordan and the Bulls rolled into town, everyone would be witnessing history in the making. When the Bulls defeated the Boston Celtics, the great Larry Bird would describe Jordan as "God disguised as Michael Jordan" in a post match interview. As though there was nothing else on Earth that could compare to the magic of Jordan, it had to be something supernatural.
There have been a few players since that are thrown into the mix today when discussing the greatest basketball players of all time. Popular opinions nominate names like Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. Other less popular opinions also think Stephen Curry should be in that conversation. Potentially speaking, there are many upcoming names that could live up to become superstars. Zion Williamson, Luka Doncic, Ja Morant, or Trae Young are changing the way we look at NBA prospects. Not to take anything away from any of these athletes, but to become stuff of legend you have to transcend basketball.
When it comes to Michael Jordan, it's difficult to sum up the impact that he had because it spans far beyond the NBA. We're talking about a man so supreme that he will always live on as a metaphor of greatness. "You should check out his work, this new artist could be the Michael Jordan of street art..."
A wild perspective that is nowadays overlooked is that Michael Jordan joined the NBA some 35 years ago. The people that are training and aspiring to join the NBA today don't get to witness Jordan's come-up. They don't see him lead the league in scoring, or outshine other great players at the All-Stars games, or get nominated the Rookie of the Year. Hearing about greatness is never the same as witnessing it firsthand, and nobody is watching those old grainy tapes of the '96 Bulls because there are no stakes.
Following that trajectory, it won't be long before young basketball players trying to join the NBA don't even remember Jordan's play style, or what he even looked like. There is however an identity that will outlive "Jordan the player" and that is "Jordan the brand." Everyone will remember the "Jumpman" logo, as will everyone recognize the Air Jordan sneakers because there was a time that every single basketball player on Earth was dreaming and trying to "Be like Mike."
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