My love for Pro-Wrestling and movies kind of outshines my other loves in life. I am a major NBA fan. I have always been a big Spurs and Lakers fan. I watch every NBA finals, and it is far and away my favorite sport. That being said, there has been a massive dark cloud that has plagued the league for over a decade: Michael Jordan.
I'll be upfront - I am not a Michael Jordan fan. My favorite player of all-time is Tim Duncan, with Kobe Bryant at a close second. It's nothing against Michael, I just did not grow up on him. It's hard for a player to be your favorite if you weren't able to mentally process them in their heyday. However, I can't deny without a shadow of a doubt that he is the greatest of all-time. The only other two people who even belong in that conversation is Kareem and Wilt. That is it.
However, ever since Jordan's retirement, there has been a giant hole the NBA media has been trying to fill for years. The NBA and sports media want a new Michael Jordan and they want one bad. So, it seems like every year they come out with statements like, "Lebron is better than Jordan" or "Curry is a better shooter than Jordan in his prime" or "Derrick Rose is the next Michael Jordan." Which I find highly disrespectful to all parties. I also find it to be truly manipulative and poor analysis.
In an attempt to manufacture a Jordan level star and player, they are forcing a puzzle piece into a wrong slot. They are placing their players in a box and setting a ceiling for them. As a Kobe Bryant fan, I readily admit he was a complete Jordan clone in the way he played the game. However, as his career went on, he developed a reputation and name for himself and broke away from the Jordan shadow. He no longer wanted to be the next Michael Jordan, he wanted to be the first Kobe Bryant. That is how the media should handle this situation.
Instead of bringing up Jordan to prop up a guy in a position the does not fit them. Focus on that player and prop him up as the next big thing in the NBA. The game has changed a great deal from when Jordan played the game. I don't know if it is possible for anybody to be greater or become the next Jordan. All they can do is created a mystique all their own. Bringing up Jordan hinders the players ability to grow and become a legend. Plus, it just pisses off fans because they will never buy what you are saying.
Let Michael Jordan have the mystique. Saying he had one hell of a career is a gross understatement. Let Jordan be Jordan and let other players be other players. Don't be like Mike. It's like going to an off-brand store and buying a generic version of Lucky Charms. It could be the best damn generic version of the marshmallow cereal ever made. However, it will still be viewed as inferior, because it will be constantly be compared to Lucky Charms.
