LeBron James has boldly declared that he is chasing "the ghost who played in Chicago" and but did he also take shots at Michael Jordan's legacy?
Well, according to Cavs Nation, that's exactly what he's trying to avoid but with James' recent statements about MJ, especially after naming him as his target (which is flattering but could also have a negative connotation), it's hard not to interpret them as anything less than taking shots.
James talked about how Michael Jordan gets "too much credit" on the Chicago Bulls' six titles. His f comments on the Open Run podcast.
I don't think MJ ever had a Game 7 in the Finals," James said. "And people say 'Oh, well he was able to close it out early' and they act like he just did it all on his own. They forget about the shot by (John) Paxson on the left wing."
James even broke down one important play that led to the Bulls' third title in 1993 against Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns.
"You want to know the crazy thing? In that particular game in Phoenix, MJ didn't even have the ball in his hands. (Scottie) Pippen brought the ball up, (Charles) Barkley went for the steal, Pippen threw it down to Horace Grant and that got the defense (out of place) because Barkley went for the gamble. They rotated to Horace Grant, and Horace Grant threw it to Paxson. MJ didn't have nothing to do with that play."
While James may just want to credit Jordan's teammates, any comparison and comment can be interpreted in different ways especially when it comes to Air Jordan and his status as the Greatest of All Time (GOAT). How could he mention that Jordan gets too much credit without actually taking a shot at MJ's legacy of being the greatest?
On another note, LeBron James just got his first ever no-trade clause on his contract which is probably not quite necessary-at least in the next three years (or two, since the third year is a player option). Bobby Marks of The Vertical tweeted this tidbit.
Two members of that club recently dropped out of the list (via retirement): Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan.