Michael Jordan retired after the 1997-98 NBA season. Ever since then, we’ve been looking for his successor, the player who would take his place as the best in the game—and possibly surpass him.
Until LeBron James went to the Miami Heat, got a jumper and developed a post game, MJ had no successor. There was no player who put a Jordan-esque distance between himself and his peers.
Shaq couldn’t do it.
In our memories, early-2000s Shaquille O’Neal was an unstoppable monster. But in reality, he only won one regular-season MVP and was often slowed by injury—and free-throw shooting.
Kobe couldn’t do it.
Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in a game, averaged 35 for a season, and imitated Jordan’s “I’m a jerk, but it’s because I want to win, so it’s okay” attitude. But he never really dominated the rest of the league. He only won one MVP and couldn’t even get out of the first round until Pau Gasol arrived. Steve Nash has more MVPs than Kobe, and no one’s about to compare him to Jordan.
Even Washington Wizards early-2000s MJ wasn’t able to succeed himself.
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Sorry, Kevin. I know you're tired of being second.
That leaves us with LeBron.
Kobe is great, Kevin Durant is great and getting better, James Hardencan score, Carmelo Anthony can score—but no one really disputes that LeBron James is head and shoulders above everybody else in the league.
There hasn’t been a player this far above his peers since MJ. So, naturally everyone wants to know: Is LBJ better than MJ? What does he have to do to surpass him as the greatest of all time?