Sports debates are always riddled with discussions over who is the greatest of all time in a given sport. In basketball, we love to talk about who the five greatest players of all time are. Depending on when you were born, this list is always going to change. If you were born in the 50s and 60s, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wilt Chamberlain are probably high on your list. Meanwhile, those born in the 80s and 90s will most likely talk about players like LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Shaq, and Kobe Bryant.
Trae Young is one of the younger players in the NBA, no pun intended. Having said that, you would think he has a top 5 list that reflects his age. This assumption would be correct as he recently took to Twitter and gave his personal five best. At the top, he has LeBron James, followed by Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and Steve Nash.
Fans immediately took issue with the list as it featured LeBron over MJ and even had Steve Nash at five. Nash isn't exactly a popular choice although you have to respect it. Young is entitled to his opinion and if he grew up idolizing Nash, then it wouldn't be a stretch for him to pay homage in such a way.
Let us know in the comments below who you would put in your top 5.
LeBron James & Michael Jordan Early 2000s Scrimmage Photo Surfaces
LeBron James and Michael Jordan played each other a very long time ago.
Coronavirus has NBA fans so starved for content that they are digging into the archives for classic photos and footage of games that no one even knows about. Two of the most legendary players in NBA history are none other than LeBron James and Michael Jordan. These two never played each other on an NBA court as Jordan retired the year before LeBron came into the league. However, the two still shared the court together in a scrimmage that went own when LeBron was just a teenager.
Someone on Twitter was able to dig up a photo of the scrimmage and you can see a young LeBron next to Jordan. The Twitter user made a call out for footage from the event although unfortunately, there is none at the moment. Regardless, it's cool to theorize about how this scrimmage would have gone down.
Granted, Jordan was well past his prime at that point while LeBron hadn't even blossomed into a man yet. Either way, these two are NBA legends and to see them on the court together is pretty special. As this quarantine goes on, hopefully, we will get even more pieces of NBA history, in the not so distant future.
Let us know in the comments who you think won the scrimmage.
Steve Kerr Dispels Michael Jordan Conspiracy Theories
Steve Kerr also ripped the idea of Michael Jordan winning eight straight titles.
Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time and was dominant as a member of the Chicago Bulls. He went on two separate three-peats back in the 90s and in the middle of that, he took two years off from the game of basketball. Many believe Jordan could have won eight-straight titles although in an interview with David Aldridge and Michael Lee of The Athletic, Jordan’s teammate Steve Kerr said it would have never happened.
“Sometimes people say to me, ‘If Michael had stayed, you guys would’ve won eight in a row.’ That’s the most preposterous thing I have ever heard. People have no idea how emotionally draining it is for a team to keep winning,” Kerr said.
Kerr also spoke about the various conspiracy theories surrounding Jordan and why he took the two years off. Some say he was suspended for gambling and that David Stern kept it all under wraps. As Kerr explained, it was simply because Jordan needed a break from everything.
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
“To me, the reason we won the second three was because he got away and recharged his batteries,” Kerr said. “He needed it, desperately. And that’s why he left. He was just burned out. There were all of these theories: Did David Stern tell him you can’t play? Like, yeah, that would be very smart – the greatest player ever and we’re going to punish him for gambling or whatever? What are we even talking about? That’s dumb. All of those conspiracy theories were dumb. Bottom line was, he was fried. Going through a lot with his father’s death. Just getting away for two years, recharged his batteries and got him ready for the next three.”
Needless to say, Kerr is more qualified to speak on this than many others out there and we’re happy to get his perspective on one of the best players ever.
Michael Jordan, Bulls Documentary May Drop Earlier Than Expected
Basketball fans are calling for ESPN to release their Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls documentary ASAP as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
ESPN Films and Netflix's highly anticipated 10-part docu-series chronicling the rise of Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls may be releasing sooner than expected as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The series, titled "The Last Dance," was originally set to debut in June but fans are calling for the footage to drop immediately before everyone loses their minds.
As seen in the screenshot embedded below, commercials airing on ESPN now list the documentary as "COMING SOON" rather than "Coming in June," sparking hope that MJ and the '90s Bulls will come to our rescue.
That's no guarantee that the plans have changed, but it's enough to bring basketball fans something to look forward to in these trying times. According to ESPN Media Zone, here's what we can expect from the 10-part series:
"Directed by Jason Hehir (“The Fab Five,” “The ’85 Bears,” “Andre the Giant”) and produced by Mike Tollin, the anthology will examine the simultaneous rise of Jordan and the NBA during those years."
"Anchored by more than 500 hours of never-before-seen footage from the team’s last championship run in the 1997-98 season, “The Last Dance” will have the full participation of Jordan and other key figures from the Bulls’ championship teams, as well as dozens of other luminaries from basketball and beyond."
Check out the trailer below and stay tuned for updates regarding the premiere date.
Michael Jordan Faces Possible Parole For Man Who Killed His Father In 1993
Micahel Jordan’s father, James Jordan Sr., was murdered while taking a nap at a rest stop. Now, one of his killers is up for parole.
In the summer of 1993, 56-year-old James R. Jordan, Sr. pulled over into a North Carolina rest stop on his way home from a funeral. While there, he fell asleep inside of his red Lexus—a gift from his son Michael Jordan—and was unexpectedly shot and killed. Daniel Andre Green and Larry Martin Demery, the men behind the murder, then stole the car and dumped James’s body over a bridge. He wasn’t located until 11 days later. It took another 10 days to properly identify him because of the state of composition. He was finally laid to rest on August 15.
While riding around in James’s car, Green and Demerey soon realized they’d just killed basketball icon Michael Jordan’s father. Michael had given his father two NBA championship rings that were inside of the vehicle, so the two murderers stole them. They were even bold enough to use James’s cell phone to make calls, ultimately leading investigators right to them. Both men would accuse the other of pulling the trigger. They were both sentenced to life in prison.
Now, nearly 27 years later, 44-year-old Demery is up for parole. In 1993, Demerey reportedly pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, armed robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. That year, Michael spoke with Oprah Winfrey about his father’s slaying. The talk show host asked the basketball legend if he would ever want to sit down with the two men that killed his dad.
“No, because I don’t want to know,” he said. “Because it probably would hurt me even more just to know their reasons. Because if it is, it’s going to be totally meaningless for the reasons. It’s better that I don’t know.”
Air Jordan 6 "DMP" Official Images Unveiled Ahead Of April Release
Michael Jordan's "DMP" Air Jordan 6 is finally headed back to retailers in April, looking just as clean as they did back in 2006.
After months of rumors and speculation, it appears that the highly anticipated Air Jordan 6 "DMP" will finally be making its way back to retailers on April 11th. That release date has changed time and again since the start of the year, but we're cautiously optimistic that the 4/11 launch date will actually stick this time around.
The "Black/Metallic Gold" DMP 6s originally released in 2006 alongside an alternate "Concord" Air Jordan 11 in celebration of Michael Jordan’s two three-peats in 1991 and 1996.
Just like the OG version, the 2020 edition features that classic, black nubuck construction equipped with regal gold accents on the tongue, lace lock, midsole, heel tab and miniature '23' detailing on the heel - not to mention the metallic gold dog tag. Additionally, the commemorative kicks will reportedly be packaged in a special edition gold box.
Check out the official images below, and click here to preview the upcoming Bugs Bunny-inspired "Hare" Air Jordan 6.
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Magic Johnson Reveals Truth Behind Michael Jordan’s Shrug
Magic Johnson provides new details about Michael Jordan's infamous shrug, and what went down the night before Game 1 of the 1992 Finals.
Michael Jordan delivered an endless amount of memorable moments during the course of his Hall of Fame career, including one perfectly-timed shrug during Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals. That iconic moment came after Jordan buried his sixth three-pointer in the first half, as he hung 35 on Clyde Drexler and the Portland Trail Blazers in the first two quarters.
As it turns out, Magic Johnson says he is the one to blame for Jordan's red hot performance on that night.
During the NBA All Star weekend in Chicago, Johnson revealed that he, MJ and some others had played cards at Jordan's house the night before Game 1. As the legend goes, Magic and MJ's pops teamed up to beat Jordan while playing bid whist, which prompted his destruction of the Blazers.
Says Magic (H/T Brandon Robinson):
“The night before he hit all of them threes against Portland, we’re playing bid whist at his house. His dad and I, we bust him up, we tore him up, I’m running six nose and five specials on Michael.”
“So we play and I say: ‘Michael I gotta go home, you gotta go home, you’ve got a game. He said: ‘nah MJ' [Magic Johnson] because Mike was just so competitive. When he loses, he don’t want you to leave.”
The next night, Magic was calling the game for the NBA on NBC and he had a front row seat as Jordan took out his frustrations from the night before. Says Magic, “He was turning to me. He was so hot that night so he owed me a lot because I’m the one he was mad at. That’s why he took it out on Clyde Drexler the next day in the game."
Check out his recollection of events leading up to MJ's infamous shrug below.
Skip Bayless Compares Tom Brady Free Agency To Michael Jordan
Skip Bayless has some strong opinions when it comes to the potential surrounding a Tom Brady exodus from New England.
Tom Brady will become a free agent for the first time in his career next month. The six-time Super Bowl-champion has been with the New England Patriots for 20 seasons now and it would be hard to imagine him wearing any other jersey than New England's. Regardless, it's beginning to look like Brady's time in New England is approaching its end.
Numerous pundits have been contemplating the ramifications of such a move. Skip Bayless of FS1's Undisputed is one of them and on today's show, he went off on the possibility of Brady hitting the open market. Bayless even compared the situation to that of Michael Jordan's when he became a free agent after winning a championship with the Chicago Bulls back in 1998.
"If in fact Tom Brady hits the open market on March 18th at 4pm ET, it is going to be chaos, hysteria, the sky falling all around the league," Bayless explained. "It's like Michael Jordan becoming a free agent after winning the championship in 1998."
It remains to be seen what Brady will decide although some analysts think the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders are the two likeliest options. It would certainly be bizarre to see him in either of those jerseys but admittedly, the morbid curiosity is definitely at an all-time high.
Jimmy Fallon Recalls Kissing Michael Jordan On The Lips
Jimmy Fallon shares the details of his very awkward encounter with Michael Jordan during new episode of "Sneaker Shopping."
Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon recently linked up with Complex's Joe La Puma at Flight Club's New York City location for a brand new episode of "Sneaker Shopping," during which the comedian dished on his most memorable sneaker-related moments, Hasan Minhaj's influence on his sneaker game, and the time he kissed Michael Jordan on the lips.
Speaking on the latter, Fallon recalled how the incident took place at a charity golf outing years ago.
“I had a very awkward run-in with Michael Jordan. I was at a golf charity event with [Derek] Jeter, and so I was playing with those guys. … We were at some nightclub at the end of the night, and Derek’s like, ‘Hey Jimmy, do you know Michael?’ “
He continued, “And I go, ‘Yeah, I know you.’ And I went to say what’s up, and I went to give him a kiss on the cheek and he went to give me a kiss on this cheek and we both like kissed on the lips.”
Check out the full episode of "Sneaker Shopping" in the video embedded below.
Kobe & Gianna Bryant Memorial: All The Attendees
A who’s who in Hollywood showed out to say goodbye to Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna as they were immortalized at the STAPLES Center.
Today’s date contains the jersey numbers of Gianna Bryant (2) and Kobe Bryant (24) so it was only right to hold a public memorial for them on this day. Taking place at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, a building that Kobe Bryant made famous, the legend and his daughter were remembered by the world. If you weren’t able to snatch a ticket to the event, it was live-streamed for free on TIDAL. A who’s who of people in Kobe’s life, as well as men and women who idolized him from afar, took their seats in the arena before Vanessa Bryant, Michael Jordan, Jimmy Kimmel, and others addressed the crowd.
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images — Jimmy Kimmel speaks during The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant
In the audience, famous faces could be spotted everywhere. A bunch of Kobe’s former teammates, including Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, Lamar Odom, Metta World Peace, and others were seen in the audience. His former coaches and agents, including Rob Pelinka, Byron Scott, and Phil Jackson were also there. Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, and Beyoncé took the stage to sing, while A-listers Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Snoop Dogg, Queen Latifah, Jay-Z, and more watched on.
The touching ceremony was bittersweet to watch. It included speeches from MJ, a heartbreaking eulogy from Vanessa Bryant to her daughter Gigi, and more.
Mamba out, but never forgotten.
