Lakers News: Jesse Jackson Talks LeBron James Vs. Michael Jordan
Even Reverend Jesse Jackson, one of the most influential activist figures in history, has an opinion on one of the great current NBA debates: who will have been better when the dust settles, former Chicago Bulls shooting guard Michael Jordan or current Cleveland Cavaliers small/power forward LeBron James?
Jackson, founder of Chicago's international civil rights non-profit organization the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, spoke with Bally Sports' Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson on the Scoop B Radio Podcast, touching on a variety of pop culture topics.
At one point, Jackson discussed his favorite elements of LeBron James's game, preparation, and performance.
"Well first, he’s kept his body in shape. So many guys cannot take or withstand the long haul. He’s an amazing guy. Didn’t go to college but he sounds like a bonafide man of peace with a Master’s degree. He speaks with authority; he’s a family man with a stable family, speaks with articulation and he carries himself in a way that makes you proud. Some guys don’t know the difference between celebrating and ‘clowning’ -- there’s so much clowning in some of those celebrations; he does his little things with his powder and that’s it. I think that we should never compromise dignity for the moment. When they touch down they start gyrating; I don’t think none of that is a good thing. We do our best and when you pass or drop the ball over your shoulder, act like you’re used to it or that you’ve done it before, you know what I’m sayin’? LeBron James to me is a solid gentleman."
When asked by Robinson to compare Jordan and James as players, Jackson didn't hesitate, though he strived to be diplomatic in assessing the greatness of both.
"C’mon man," Jackson laughed. "Michael Jordan is the best. I saw him win 6 titles in a row and struggle to get that winning combination when he was coming up. I’m a little biased though because I saw Michael play so much and plus he’s an Omega Man so I’m a ‘little’ biased about that one [laughs]. But I’m not sure it matters. Bill Russell said, 'How can you compare someone and they haven't even played against each other?' You’re comparing how much they won. How can you compare [Wilt] Chamberlain to [fellow legendary Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar]? They played against each other. You have to compare the likes. So Michael was the best player in his day. LeBron is the best in his day and both guys did well on and off the court. Michael helps a lot of people and so does James building schools in Akron, Ohio; it doesn’t get any better than that."
Though Jordan actually won six titles in eight seasons, he was retired for all of the 1993-94 NBA season and only un-retired for the stretch run of the 1994-95 regular season. The Bulls, with Jordan, fell to future Laker Shaquille O'Neal and the Orlando Magic in the second round of the 1995 playoffs. After that, the team re-tooled, trading reserve center Will Perdue to the Spurs for Hall of Fame power forward Dennis Rodman, and then won three straight titles.
James is a terrific player and will probably break all kinds of records the longer he continues to play, but Jordan was more dominant in his prime, though it didn't last as long. This writer thinks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell also belong in the NBA's Mount Rushmore, along with Jordan and James, in some order. Any way you splice it, you can't really go wrong.
