They need more than a shoe deal to be 'Like Mike'
by Paul Harrison
(Posted 7/2/2010 08:00 am)
Ever since he retired, again, after the 1998 season, before he would come back out for two token years with the Washington Wizards after three years off, we’ve heard one player after another heralded as “the Next Michael Jordan.” I am here to show you there is no comparison. I’m using stats from what I figure is the only truly “official” source, NBA.com, and have compiled it all side-by-side in a graph for easy comparison.
Let’s not waste time. For the sake of comparison, I’m keeping my Like Mikes to a short list of legitimate throne claims: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Dwayne Wade. Understand this: I’m not saying these guys are bums and can’t play. Love him or hate him, Kobe could retire today and be a first-round ballot Hall of Famer, and if LeBron and Wade continue to play the way they have, they should be locks to get in as well. I’m just saying, as Magic Johnson once said, there's Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us.
Okay, firstly, in a 14-year career, including the two years with Washington at 38-years-old, he averaged 30.1 points per game. That’s 4.8 ppg better than Kobe, who has averaged 30 or better three times (02-03, 05-06 and 06-07), 2.3 ppg more than LeBron and 4.7 ppg more than Wade so far in their careers. LeBron needs to average 32 ppg if he plays another 10 years and Wade would have to average 35 ppg for another six years to match that mark. Kobe needs 40 ppg over the next seven years if he retires at 40. This is just shooting the ball...
by Paul Harrison
(Posted 7/2/2010 08:00 am)
Ever since he retired, again, after the 1998 season, before he would come back out for two token years with the Washington Wizards after three years off, we’ve heard one player after another heralded as “the Next Michael Jordan.” I am here to show you there is no comparison. I’m using stats from what I figure is the only truly “official” source, NBA.com, and have compiled it all side-by-side in a graph for easy comparison.
Let’s not waste time. For the sake of comparison, I’m keeping my Like Mikes to a short list of legitimate throne claims: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Dwayne Wade. Understand this: I’m not saying these guys are bums and can’t play. Love him or hate him, Kobe could retire today and be a first-round ballot Hall of Famer, and if LeBron and Wade continue to play the way they have, they should be locks to get in as well. I’m just saying, as Magic Johnson once said, there's Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us.
Okay, firstly, in a 14-year career, including the two years with Washington at 38-years-old, he averaged 30.1 points per game. That’s 4.8 ppg better than Kobe, who has averaged 30 or better three times (02-03, 05-06 and 06-07), 2.3 ppg more than LeBron and 4.7 ppg more than Wade so far in their careers. LeBron needs to average 32 ppg if he plays another 10 years and Wade would have to average 35 ppg for another six years to match that mark. Kobe needs 40 ppg over the next seven years if he retires at 40. This is just shooting the ball...
