Michael Jordan caused quite the stir earlier this week when he said he would take Kobe Bryant over LeBron James. The basis of his argument was championships. Considering MJ won six rings during his legendary career, it makes sense that he would use that as his measuring stick.
Not surprisingly, LeBron was asked about the comments during an interview at the 2013 All-Star Game on Friday.
“That’s his own opinion,” King James told reporters. “At the end of the day rings don’t always define someone’s career. If that’s the case then I’d sit up here and say I would take (Bill) Russell over Jordan, but, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t take Russell over Jordan. Russell has 11 rings, Jordan has six. Or I’d take Robert Horry over Kobe — I wouldn’t do that.”
LeBron also mentioned how some of the best players to ever play in the NBA like Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller never won a championship.
“Sometimes it’s the situation that you’re in and it’s the team that you’re on and it’s about timing as well,” he said. “I don’t play the game and try to define who I am over what guys say or how they feel about me. It doesn’t matter to me. I go out and I play for my family, the teammates, the coaching staff and our fans. And that’s it.”
Personally, I agree with LeBron. Championship rings help define a career, but they are not the only way to measure success. Very few people would argue with you if you said Dan Marino is one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks of all time, and he never won a Super Bowl.
Having said that, LeBron would probably be better off not getting into detail over it. I realize he’s just trying to answer the questions that are being asked, but the way he goes into detail makes it seem like Jordan’s comments actually do bother him.
