Imitation is the highest form of flattery. At times appearance can convey excellence when in fact it’s merely re-interpretation.
For some time now, the growing inclination has been that Kobe Bryant is this generation’s Michael Jordan – and to be honest, that assertion in many ways is absolutely correct. Their styles mirror one another’s to the point in which the ambivalent chews of gum seem to be eerily identical as well as their patented fadeaway jumpers.
However, as LeBron James knelt on the Cavaliers home floor Sunday night, one thing became certain: he’s the closest thing we’ve seen to Michael Jordan – both on and off the court.
First and foremost, this is not a “hot take” but merely a presentation of facts. Or for that matter, a chronological look at two historic figures in the game. For starters, both Michael Jordan and LeBron James entered the NBA drawing comparisons to two NBA legends; Michael’s being the great Dr.J and LeBron’s being the illustrious Magic Johnson. Both players fused identical traits but with a generational twist. Both players ideally entered the league within two of the most iconic draft classes to date. Both Michael and LeBron would capture Rookie of the Year honors amidst playing against peers who would go on to become legends themselves.
Within their respective rookie seasons, Michael Jordan and LeBron James would take the league by storm, incurring averages of over 20 points per game and boosting their team’s respective win totals from the previous season. Ultimately, the thing that would be the most transcendent to come from both Michael and LeBron would be their legendary signature shoe lines. Unlike any two other players, the unprecedented dollar figures received by the two stars will forever live in sneaker lore as Michael would garner a $2 million-plus annual salary from Nike upon his arrival into the Association and LeBron would become equipped with a annual salary north of $7 million per year, adding up to a lucrative $90 million endorsement deal.
Another commonality between the two would be Sonny Vaccaro. Although Kobe would be represented by the notorious sneaker broker himself, Bryant’s inaugural dollar amount pales in comparison to the aforementioned duo.
Their respective games, while although differ in many ways, still remain similar in many aspects. Much like Jordan, LeBron James’ ability to remain incredibly efficient, shooting upwards of 45% during multiple campaigns is very reminiscent of Michael Jordan. In fact, LeBron James had a streak of six straight seasons finishing #1 in PER totals while never dropping below the number four spot in average points per game. As Phil Jackson would state during a 2008 interview, “Michael shot 49-50%, Kobe hasn’t been able to do that..”
However, Jordan’s points per game totals trumps LeBron’s as MJ’s 10 scoring titles to LeBron James’ one dramatically shifts the favor in Bryant’s direction for those who feel inclined to compare the two based on scoring.
Ultimately, the truest comparison lies within the sneaker realm as absolutely no entity has been able to even reach the status of the Air Jordan brand or even touch its stratosphere. That is until LeBron James, of course. With his twelfth signature model hitting retail shelves this past year and his venture back to Cleveland this past off-season, LeBron James hasn’t been a hotter commodity. According to Forbes Magazine, LeBron James’ shoes netted sales of $340 million, essentially doubling Nike’s second leading man, Kevin Durant’s shoe sales. Who’s third on that list? Kobe Bryant, with a mere $105 million dollars in sales, despite his affinity overseas, particularly in the Asian market.
HOWEVER, and yes, that “however” has the appropriate case-sensitivity, LeBron James’ sales totals are dwarfed by Michael Jordan’s and the Jordan Brand. In fact, they are blown out of that water, as LeBron James’ signature sales totals only make up approximately 10% of that of Jordan Brand’s revenue totals from 2013, according to media repots.
For instance, the last holiday released Air Jordan, the Air Jordan 11 “Legend Blue”, sold $80 million worth of units, according to Forbes and most of those sales occurred within he first day. To put that in perspective, as presented by Forbes, Adidas, Under Armour, Reebok and every other non-Nike/Jordan Brand sold a cumulative total of $190 million for all its styles over the 52 weeks of 2014. That’s pretty damn impressive – considering MJ has been retired since 2003.
Both signature lines have incurred their fair share of turmoil and controversy as well, as the Air Jordan lineage has been paired with numerous stories of violence and mayhem, as plenty of situations have ended in felonious activities. In addition, LeBron’s signature line had its own malfunctions as his noted Nike LeBron 11 signature model was rarely worn by James due to misalignment issues (poor fitting with his orthodics). Moving along to 2014, James’ twelfth signature model was a part of a $1.5 million heist, as a rogue Nike employe stole approximately 7,500 pairs and ended up bringing upon an FBI investigation.
Now venturing back towards their on-court performance, both players are incredibly dominant within their generation, both on and off the court. During the 90s, everyone wanted to be like Mike as his smooth smile and trademarked shaven head graced commercials every hour, as woman wanted him and guys wanted to be him. As much hate as LeBron James receives, he’s the exact same way (except for the shaven head, of course) as he is the highest-grossing American athlete in endorsement dollars, pulling in a staggering $44-million annually away from the hardwood.
While people will continue point to LeBron’s pedestrian averages on the NBA’s biggest stage as being the inevitable “nail in the coffin” to this comparison – critics have to understand the generation. Since 2004, only two players have garnered more titles than LeBron James that entered the league either within his draft class or afterwards – those players include Udonis Haslem and Dwyane Wade. By the way, he led those two players to two NBA Championships himself.
If LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers secure a victory tonight, completing the sweep of the Atlanta Hawks, the case should be made that LeBron James is in fact this generation’s Michael Jordan. Five straight NBA Finals appearances with two different team is unprecedented. His four NBA MVP’s mirror Jordan’s five and his countless number of accolades will continue to rise as he is only 30 years of age. While Kobe Bryant is amazing and an iconic figure in his own right, consequently, we’ve seen him before.
Whether you love him or hate him – you have to give LeBron James his just due. With his Game 3 stat line of 38 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists, his array of talents should not be taken lightly. Much like Jordan, plenty of naysayers and peers despise James, but ultimately, the truth lies within numbers – and LeBron James has an abundance of those.
