Lake Show Life
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LeBron James can be compared to Michael Jordan, off the court

By Ronald Agers

AKRON, OH - JULY 30: LeBron James addresses the media following the grand opening of the I Promise school on July 30, 2018 in Akron, Ohio. The new school is a partnership between the LeBron James Family foundation and Akron Public Schools. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Allison Farrand/NBAE via Getty Images)
AKRON, OH - JULY 30: LeBron James addresses the media following the grand opening of the I Promise school on July 30, 2018 in Akron, Ohio. The new school is a partnership between the LeBron James Family foundation and Akron Public Schools. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Allison Farrand/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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If people are going to compare LeBron James to Michael Jordan, off the court is where it should be done.

LeBron James hit cable TV this week in his new HBO series, “The Shop” Tuesday night. Lake Show Life breaks down the episode along with other observations on the website, please check it out. During the episode, the who’s better…LeBron James or Michael Jordan debate came up for the 4,767,434th time, sprinkled with…Is LeBron James the best player in the world?

To be clear and for the record…it’s no on both fronts. Michael Jordan is better. I base it on one number…zero. That is losses in the NBA Finals and Finals series going to seven games.  Furthermore, they are different players, they have different styles and the style of play is different.  That’s it. Let’s move on.

Also Lake Show Lifers, you may not have the best player in the world now, but don’t fret, Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka are working to get him for you. Either you’ll see him in about six months at the trade deadline or in the offseason…Kawhi Leonard.

Plus, there are rumors that the Lakers are keeping the options open for some tall dude named Kevin Durant. Based on the last two NBA Finals, let’s add his name to the mix.

But I digress. Let’s go to the first episode, with Draymond Green and Maverick Carter discussing James and asking the $64 dollar question…Is LeBron James the best player in the world?

"“Can LeBron James ever come out and say, ‘I’m the best basketball player playing?'” Carter asked Green.“I think you should say that. I think you should believe that. And you should definitely let the world know that. I think Bron over the last four years became LeBron James. And it wasn’t nothing to do with winning and it wasn’t nothing to do with stats.”"

Ahh, the beauty of media sometimes. First off, the loaded question. What is he supposed to say? It’s LeBron’s show! I’m going to leave my feelings about what in the world Draymond Green is talking about to my colleagues that cover the Warriors on FanSided.com.

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But it’s sports. It’s all about winning. If Green doesn’t get himself suspended, LeBron James quite possibly does not bring a championship to Cleveland and the Golden State Warriors have four titles in a row.

Plus, let me ask how many people would buy a ticket to watch this episode with Kevin Durant? Steph Curry? The best player in the world is supposed to win titles. Jordan did it. Durant and Curry are doing it. Boy, the Warriors locker room is going to be something to behold.

Well let’s keep going, shall we? Go ahead Draymond…

"“He found himself. People didn’t start to view him as they view him now, until he became that force, that man to say, ‘I’m here.’ I felt like for years, he shied away from saying ‘I’m here’. And when he started to say ‘[expletive] y’all, I’m here.’ That’s when he became who he is, and no one would have ever said that until he did it himself.”“Mother [expletives]-[expletive] with Mike because Mike was like, ‘I’m Mike with my hoop earring. ‘[expletive] y’all I’m here.’ And until he did that, that’s when he became the figurehead that he is. So many people shy away from that and that’s why they don’t reach their full potential.”"

Again, that is misguided and taken out of context. Mike became the figurehead he is from winning six titles, being the star of the Dream Team, slam dunk championships and being an NBA ambassador. Plus he is blessed with having the single most iconic sneaker EVER, and finally, these discussions were not relevant because everyone knew that Jordan was the best.

Fans, media, players. LeBron James had the Eastern Conference on lock for about eight years. Skip the 18 months Jordan spent chasing curveballs in the dirt, he had the NBA on lock for about eight years.

Forget that hoop earring. How about his Air Jordans? The NBA released rules that players could use any color shoes to express themselves. Jordan had SHOES to express himself. People forget the NBA would fine him for wearing them. Oh, that’s the “[expletive] y’all I’m here”. Draymond is talking about.

Here are some comparisons that Draymond SHOULD have used last night for the two players…

  1. They are both worldwide basketball Icons.

Michael Jordan did not become the Michael Jordan that we know today by telling the world that he was here. The NBA and Rod Thorn asked Jordan to be on the Olympic team in 1992. After being convinced (and a few player changes…) the world fell in love with the NBA and the international bridge was forged from FIBA to the NBA.

LeBron James is the social media version of what Michael Jordan did in 1992. Understand that there were no social media back then. With media going almost exclusively to the internet and information getting out in record speed, James has a worldwide following.

2. They are business savvy and work those endorsements.

Michael Jordan wasn’t the highest paid player on a lot of those Bulls teams. With the Wizards, he took the minimum and donated it to charity. But McDonald’s, Gatorade, Hanes and Nike paid a pretty good ransom so Jordan would leave money on the table to build the Bulls bench. That’s something LeBron James never figured out in Cleveland. Jordan gets the edge here.

LeBron James was always about his business in the NBA. I’ve already stated that coming to Los Angeles is not about championships. It’s about the brand. Last night’s episode alone has a purpose. Money and potential business contacts. He has a ton of endorsements and he reportedly did well in that “Trainwreck” movie. I’m not even trying to lie and say that I watched it. I did see Space Jam and Jordan well, moving on.

3. Nike has made a ton of money because of these two.

Air Jordan. Team Jordan. Nuff said.

Lebron James has a lifetime deal reportedly worth $1 billion. Now that he is in L.A. It is unknown how much he’ll clear.

4. Finally, the NBA marketed an entire business plan around these two.

Remember back in the 80’s when it was Bird and Magic? Boston vs. L.A.? All about the rivalries? The NBA changed the format and handed the keys to Jordan. It reaped popularity and exposure for the league.

Not until LeBron came along did the blueprint work. (Kobe had a chance but remember the Colorado situation.) It is quite a feat for two players to be perfectly constructed for this to bring in billions every year and grow exponentially.

Next. 50 Greatest Lakers In Franchise History. dark

I realize that these comparisons will never end. But after reading this, the similarities are OFF the court. Not on.

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