Unbreakable No. 1, Jordan’s unchanging status
‘I’d like to have a name, but… , A reputation that is still unshakable!’ Michael Jordan (59‧198cm), who led the Chicago Bulls dynasty in the 1990s, is known as the ‘Basketball Emperor’. He was also called ‘Black Cat’ or ‘Air’ because of his great athleticism and elasticity during his first three consecutive wins, but his appearance that many fans are most familiar with is Emperor and Absolute.
Among domestic fanatics, nicknames such as ‘shoe seller’, which is a reference to the fact that a certain brand with Jordan’s name is still popular, and ‘King of Jojo’, for not letting opponents who provoked themselves or stimulated their desire to compete, have arisen. In the sense of ‘basketball is Jordan’ without needing this and that, it is sometimes organized as a common name ‘him’.
Even among NBA fans and officials who enjoy listing all-time great players and fighting for rankings, Jordan is always evaluated as an exception in comparative analysis. Just put it in 1st place and start with 2nd place. From the past Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the current LeBron James, there have been quite a few ranking changes and disagreements from the second place, but the first place is very quiet. Except for a few opinions, there is no room for disagreement in the evaluation that he is the ‘best player’ regardless of whether he is an avid fan or an anti-fan.
Whenever there is a player who leaves a strong impact on the league or sets an all-time record, Jordan is often mentioned. Originally, it is not steadily forgotten, but it is correct to see that it is getting hotter. Meanwhile, the player most often compared to Jordan recently is ‘King’ LeBron James (38‧206cm). LeBron recently surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career high point scorer and became number 2, surpassing the all-time number 1.
Some say, ‘LeBron is at the peak of his career, competing against incredible players like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan and the late Kobe Bryant. There is also a harsh criticism that Jordan reigned in a relatively better era because there was no big name that could be called a rival, but this is wrong.
It’s not that Jordan didn’t have players who could be rivals, it’s that the rivals themselves weren’t formed because they won against all the prominent players. Rivals are created only when they exchange wins and losses or follow the player who is ahead to some extent. Unfortunately (?) Jordan did not allow that to happen. He was literally a dictator.
In the current league, where LeBron is building his achievements as the king of the 21st century, there are not a few players who are challenging past legends with overflowing talent. However, the era when Jordan fought was as fierce as it is now. Jordan debuted at a great time in his life. LA Lakers’ Magic Johnson and Boston Celtics’ Larry Bird formed the strongest rivalry, and in addition to that, Detroit Pistons Bad Boys grew as a challenger when they were gaining notoriety.
Until Jordan came in, the Chicago Bulls were not a particularly strong team, and there was nothing like signing a big name in the process of growing into a dynasty. Bringing in Dennis Rodman at the time of the 2nd and 3rd consecutive losses was the biggest external blood transfusion. At the time, Rodman was good at rebounding and defense, but he had clear offensive weaknesses and, above all, was not the leader’s preferred player because of his unpredictable personality.
Maybe it’s because Jordan is doing so great and he’s in and out of the league. Some people think of the 1990s as the era of shooting guards. That’s not entirely wrong. In addition to Jordan, there were quite a few outstanding shooting guards, such as flying shooting guard Clyde Drexler, clutch shot master Reggie Miller, and Man of Steel Mitch Richmond.
However, strictly speaking, it is correct to say that it was the era of the center at the time. In addition to Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, and Shaquille O’Neal, who were called the so-called four centers, there were more outstanding centers than ever, such as Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo, Brad Doorty, Rick Smits, Sean Bradley, and Vlady Divac. In those big-man heydays, Jordan conquered the league with less-than-average starting center Luke Longley.
One of the characteristics of Jordan’s career or record is the fact that there is no superfluity. Once, he led his team, the Chicago Bulls, to the Finals 6 times and won 6 times. He won Finals MVP all six times he won the championship. As for the process of winning the championship, after 3 consecutive defeats and a comeback after 3 consecutive defeats, even if it was made into a movie, ‘Wouldn’t it be somewhat less realistic?’ A worrying story was recreated into reality.
The top scorer 10 times (1st overall) is also a great record, except for 1985, the rookie season, 1986, when he could not play the season due to injury, 1994, and 1995, the first retirement period, until the second retirement in 1998. The season also never missed the top scorer. It can be said that in the season when he played in a normal body, he won the top scorer. Even during his time in Washington, where he played for the service concept, both the regular season average score and the playoff average score are all first in his career.
Another great thing about Jordan is that he was sincere on defense. Defensive Player of the Year Award 1 time, Defensive First Team 9 times, King of Steel 3 times, first 200 steals in NBA history, 100 block success, etc. Without mentioning various awards or records, those who watched his game played against opponents with breathtaking suffocating defense in every game. I remember clearly how much it bothered me. 슬롯사이트
Jordan ate the careers of countless star players. Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Reggie Miller, Karl Malone, and Patrick Ewing, who are called ‘the kings of nothing’, are players who would have won the final once or twice if not for Jordan. If they had added a win to their career, it is highly likely that the evaluation of the posterity would have been a little different. There were situations that put Jordan in danger in big games, but in the end, the final winner was always the same.
Lebron, who is called a living record-maker, is one of the strongest contenders for Jordan’s all-time No. 1 spot. In particular, despite his age in his late 30s, the part where he is averaging more than 30 points, 7 assists and 8 rebounds is literally a monster. Since the rate of aging is also slow, his terrifying cumulative record will become even thicker. Watching how long Jordan’s unshakable status as the number one player will continue is another fun part of enjoying the NBA.
