By Anthony Strait, OTSL Panelist
I admit it, I’m part of a generation that is big on nostalgia.
In 2019 where we have so many advances in science, technology, entertainment
and so many choices, its commonplace to hear someone yearn for how things were
in 1999. Sports are no exception to this rule and one person who has greatly
benefited from this nostalgic feel is Michael Jordan. No question his impact on
basketball is set in stone, and along with his accomplishments on and off the
court, he is arguably the greatest to ever do it. But at what point does the
previous generation stay in the past? Personally, I grow tired of the previous
generation talking down on the current one with a “back in my day” mentality
that feels so elitist.
Case in point: Jordan‘s recent Today Show interview. When asked
about guys who would be unbeatable in a game he named guys he played against or
with. Fair enough, since experience is the best teacher in life. But when
Stephen Curry was mentioned, MJ’s ever inflated ego just couldn’t help itself.
He said Steph is a great player but not a Hall of Famer yet.
Uh....say what?
Of course the Jordan apologists of the world ran to his rescue
to defend him like they have defended a legacy that needs no defending on so
many occasions. But at what point do we stop giving him a pass and acknowledge
him for what he truly is? A egotistical, petty man who can’t take his ball and
go home. This isn’t the first time Michael’s petty ego has struck. A few
years ago he took shots at LeBron James because he felt his legacy was somehow
threatened. “Five beats three” when comparing Kobe’s rings to LeBron’s. Of
course Jordan’s math stinks because Bill Russell’s 11 beats his six, but don’t
get the Jordan fans riled up on that one. To be fair and honest, he is the last
person who should ever have an opinion on legacies and talent. He’s been a
total train wreck in both categories.
For the record, if Stephen Curry retired tomorrow his accomplishments
would make him Hall of Fame-bound. Over 10 years in the NBA, he’s shot 47.7% overall, 43.6% from
beyond the arc, and 90.5% from the free-throw line. And that’s on top of
averaging 23.5 points, 6.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. He’s a three-time
NBA champion; a two-time MVP; and essentially the greatest shooter of all time.
In
fact, the guy Jordan sees as a non-Hall of Famer has managed to accomplish
something Jordan never did: become the first and only unanimous league MVP in
history. Maybe Michael’s standards are so high from his playing days that it has eroded his mind at his advanced age.
If you want examples of MJ not being great on judging talent you
can go back to his Washington Wizards days. Yes, it’s the forgotten years that
Jordan loyalists in both the mainstream media and social media try to pretend
never happened. As part-owner and President of Basketball Operations how could
he fail? This was Michael Jordan after all. The man who went 6 for 6 in the
finals would have the Wizards on top right? Well, that didn’t turn out so well.
While he did shed some bad contracts, he also made questionable moves like
trading Richard Hamilton and drafting Kwame Brown. The biggest mistake was returning
to the court as a player as the Wizards missed the playoffs both seasons Jordan
was in uniform.
He has been a majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets
for 10 years now and it’s safe to say he needs 10 more to even out his track
record. Under his ownership the
team has made the playoffs a total of three times with no playoff
series wins in that span. The same man also managed to make another bad
decision with the drafting of Adam Morrison, which turned into a mess. He did draft
Kemba Walker, who became a All-Star, but failed to build a good team around him.
Eventually he let Walker leave via free agency and woefully overpaid Terry
Rozier to replace him. As the Bobcats they are the owners of the worst winning
percentage in NBA history thanks to a 7-59 record in the strike-shortened
2011-12 season.
Whenever Curry gets into the Hall of Fame I doubt his speech will be as
salty and vindictive as MJ’s was. When he was inducted a decade ago, Jordan
used his speech to attack everyone who was part of the Bulls front office
during their run. Curry’s, I assume, will be much more humble than the GOAT’s
petty rant.
MJ has been riding the coattails from his playing days for the
longest time, masking his inability to evaluate talent. This is why it puzzles me
when people take his words as bible all the time. At this point, however, Jordan
just comes off as an old man with a “get off my lawn” mentality. We don’t need
his opinion on status when it’s painfully clear he doesn’t know talent unless
he is looking in a mirror. From now on we need to just tell Mike the same thing
we tell the other players from the past: to go sit in that rocking chair and
drink your lemonade. The one place Jordan is in a class by himself is the one for being a real Hall of Fame Jackass.
