LeBron James Butthurt Because Michael Jordan Prefers Kobe Bryant

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

So much for LeBron James sticking to the high road. Yesterday word spread that Michael Jordan was still in the Kobe camp when he went scoreboard on the King by saying five rings trumps one. Initially James steered clear of the topic by acting as if he didn’t mind Jordan’s opinion.

What difference a day makes.

Today James is singing a different tune by trying to make a case for ring count not being the defining factor in one’s legacy.

"“At the end of the day, rings don’t always define someone’s career. If that’s the case, then I’d sit up here and say I would take Bill Russell over Jordan. But I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t take Russell over Jordan. Russell has 11 rings, Jordan has six. I wouldn’t do that.”"

There is no doubt Bill Russell is the lord of the rings having a collection as a player only rivaled by Phil Jackson as a coach. As for James, his logic is correct though there are those purists who actually do argue Russell is the G.O.A.T. simply because of his winning ways. Granted most of those folks are misguided Celtics fans, but I have certainly heard the case made for Russell.

None the less the fact that James has been stewing on it for a day proves he’s taken Jordan’s words to heart. Perhaps that’s just MJ being MJ though. Unlike James, Jordan is known for his constant prodding of teammates and rivals alike. That anyone would dare compare James to Jordan when His Airness has a healthy jewelry collection forged in a decade of NBA dominance must be an insult to Mike. So it’s only natural for Jordan to fire a warning shot across LeBron’s nose.