Don’t worry, this won’t settle the G.O.A.T. debate.
My hope is that I can add a different perspective that you may have never considered before.
Jordan vs Lebron?
It’s a debate that often leaves opposing sides frustrated because it’s hard to argue apples v oranges.
They are both fruits, but it’s hard to say apples are better than oranges objectively because they are not the same.
Therein lies the issue with Lebron and Jordan; they aren’t exactly comparable.
Sure, they are both basketball players and have the distinction of being the best player of their generation, but the similarities end there.
And no this isn’t a Lebron is more like Magic Johnson argument, while a valid viewpoint, but more of a cerebral look at what makes comparing Jordan and Lebron completely nonsensical.
Let’s take a step back from the basketball court and step into the business world for a moment.
Harold is your company’s top performer. Quarter after quarter he exceeds all expectations for sales, performance, and any other metric you’ve used to previously gauge employees. He is so essential to the company’s success he’s been elevated to the highest position and compensated accordingly. There are no flaws in Harold’s resume and the idea of replacing him one day is a daunting and impossible task.
Jonas is an entrepreneur. He’s always had a mind for implementing difficult ideas that have never been conceived. He’s had a number of failures that certainly won’t be forgotten but his successes are unparalleled. He’s permanently altered the landscape for how business is done and he has created some enemies along the way because of it. Overall, his vision and ability to implement new concepts at a high level make his contributions to the industry unassailable and his resume unimpeachable.
Is Harold better than Jonas? Jonas better than Harold?
As you can see they are just different.
No one in one business world would compare the two, they would just appreciate what each person brings to the table and make sure their skillset is maximized for their environment.
For the Jordan apologists this isn’t a way to justify Lebron James mysteriously bad performance in the 2011 NBA Finals. It’s a way to understand that as Lebron began changing the landscape of player empowerment there were some major hiccups along the way that he owns as part of his journey.
In addition, the 2017 and 2018 Finals defeats suffered at the hands of the Warriors are in large part charged to Lebron because he started the precedent of changing teams half a decade prior to Kevin Durant ever considering it.
However, as Lebron hoists the 2020 Finals MVP for his third team, an unprecedented feat, it would have never been possible if he had embraced the traditional mindset of waiting for a team to build around him.
For the Lebron apologists Jordan’s greatness isn’t to be diminished as only being singularly focused.
He had an organizational structure in place that Lebron lacked initially at his first stop in Cleveland.
It is also worth pointing out that Jordan’s year and a half retirement allowed the Bulls to revamp an aging roster after the teams first three peat from 1990-1993.
But the Bull’s second three peat from 1995-1998 is a phenomenal accomplishment by Jordan and should be viewed by all as such.
If they existed, Harold and Jonas would be essential, indispensable people in the business world and those in their respective companies and industries would recognize them as such.
Perhaps it’s time we start doing the same thing for Michael Jordan and Lebron James.
They are both essential, indispensable individuals in the annals of basketball history.
It’s time we started treating them that way.
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