The annals of sports history are replete with examples of great players, that have come and gone. It could be argued that one of the attributes of Jordan's mystique, lied in the notion that some of the things he did on the basketball court, we did not think could be done. We were intrigued by his focus and competitiveness, as much as by his high flying,acrobatic on the court prowess. To top it all off, Chicago provided a supporting cast for his show.

Michael Jordan is an "old school" hero, arguably the last of his kind. You know what I mean. He could get away with poor sportsmanship, was surly with his coaches and teammates,during a time when winning was the only mantra that mattered.Arguably, at least as important his rise to fame was not meteoric, he appeared to have gone through "everyman type trials" before ascending to the top.
The knight in shining armor that slayed the dragon, to wit dethroned the Celtics and Lakers could do no wrong. No one ever talked about MJ's assist making other player's better, it was more like the other players were inspired or intimidated,by his desire to win.
On the other side of the coin we have Le Bron James a decidedly X-Generation phenomena.This hoopster is a very young kid with physical attributes and skills that rival any player to ever play in the NBA. He comes ,however, with the perceived baggage of one with a sense of entitlement. From a skill set point of view or the ability to physically take over a game, he will be a better player than Michael. In
the end, he can have all of Michael's scoring records and personal accolades. But if he does not win championships, for many he will have shot the proverbial airball.
In the debate about who is the best player do we leave out those who do not win championships?
Of course we do not. Bill Russell won eleven champioships and dominated statiscal
defensive categories. He is rarely mentioned as the best player ever. Le Bron James may be the best player ever. But, the generation he represents doesn't seem to need heroes like we did.

Le Bron James may already have cemented his place in history, by meeting the expectations of a new generation. In fact, truth be told he may have exceeded the expectation of the "old guard" as well. Old heroes never die, they just get shiny new shoes, a longer cape, and broader shoulders...to carry the hopes of a new generation.

Learn more about this author, Victor Churchill.
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