It's OK to Debate LeBron vs Jordan; NBC Did it at Length for Magic vs Jordan in 1991
By Jason McIntyre
Finally, the NBA Finals are here, and besides the obvious subplots – LeBron vs Stephen Curry; LeBron vs Kevin Durant – is the lingering Michael Jordan vs LeBron James debate. As LeBron chases Jordan’s ghost, everyone has an opinion.
LeBron is 3-4 in the Finals; Jordan was 6-0. The rings debate is silly, but perfection in the Finals is difficult to overcome. But beating the 73-win Warriors and the greatest collection of talent all-time, back-to-back, could do the trick for LeBron.
If you’re sick of LeBron vs Jordan, here’s a memory jog: The 1991 NBA Finals. Five-time champ Magic Johnson squared off with Finals virgin Michael Jordan. The above video is how NBC opened the Finals.
We’ve always debated history. That’s what sports fans do. Montana vs Brady. Ichiro vs Pete Rose. Pick two boxers. Michael Phelps vs Carl Lewis. And on and on. Sports fans have always debated and discussed across eras.
What’s different now? Thanks to social media, the discussion has the potential to be heard by millions.
One key thing to remember about the above video – three years after the 1991 NBA Finals … Michael Jordan had won three in a row, and was on his way to being the greatest of all-time.