LeBron James versus Michael Jordan… It’s the confrontation that all basketball fans would have liked to see in the NBA. It’s hard to predict who would have gotten the better of a young King or a MJ close to retirement. Yet, according to a renowned analyst, the result would have been clear-cut. In fact, even in his fifties, he thinks His Airness would have dominated.
It’s arguably one of the biggest disappointments in NBA history: the retirement of Michael Jordan the year LeBron James was drafted. If His Airness had decided to continue for even one more season, the world could have seen two monsters clash.
But because history can’t be rewritten, fans have to use their imaginations when considering what a face-off between the two would have looked like. Even if there are some clues, like this training match between LeBron (16) and his idol, during a basketball camp.
For fans of No. 23, there is no doubt that Michael Jordan would have simply destroyed LeBron. Moreover, some even went so far as to think that a retired MJ was still superior to the King, especially on the mental aspect.
This is the case of Skip Bayless, who had stated with certainty in 2015 that at 52 years old, MJ still had the weapons to beat a LeBron James yet at his prime in 1-on-1. We knew he loved Jordan, but at this point, it may be a bit too radical.
If today Michael Jordan stopped smoking his cigars, resumed a healthy diet, and if he was given say 2 months to train and to get back to a semblance of shape necessary to play basketball, it is possible that he would beat LeBron in 1 on 1, even at 52 years old.
We’re talking about one of the most determined superstars in sports history against a man, LeBron James, whose mental fragility has been on display many times in the biggest games. A 1-on-1 would be the biggest moment of LeBron’s career. He would be facing his idol, and I know he would be shaking.
I know that using only his head, and his heart, Michael would find a way to beat a LeBron James who is likely to crumble under the pressure of the moment. It’s still about beating his idol, the greatest player in basketball history.
Never forget when Skip Bayless said that a 52-year-old Michael Jordan would beat Prime LeBron in a 1-on-1 game 💀 pic.twitter.com/X2m8xnQpNi
— Hilltop Hoops (@HilltopNBA) March 21, 2020
