Michael Jordan: the greatest of all time
Sam Kohn, Co-Editor-in-Chief
In the pantheon of legendary basketball players, one man stands atop.
It is easy to quantify the accomplishments of Michael Jordan, the man many, including myself, classify as the greatest basketball player to ever live. In his NBA tenure—a relatively short span of 14 seasons—Jordan won six championships, was the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the league five times and was the league-leading scorer ten times. All of this is forgoing the multitude of other accolades Jordan was able to pile up.
Many other players have accumulated heaps of awards, so while it helps Jordan’s case, it is not the deciding factor. Bill Russell, one of the game’s pioneers at the center position, has 11 championships. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won six MVP awards. In order to make an argument of who the greatest player is, there are layers beyond championships and all star appearances.
Overall skill is a factor people discuss when talking about the greatest player of all time, and Jordan was a true talent on both sides of the ball. His offensive prowess is clearly demonstrated by him leading the league in scoring the majority of the years he played. Defensively, Jordan is arguably the greatest defender at the guard position, or at least one of the greatest. In 1988, Jordan won a Defensive Player of the Year award as a shooting guard. This award has been given annually over the last 38 years, and only four other guards have been able to win it, with none of them matching Jordan’s offensive expertise even remotely. However, skill, like accolades, is not a perfect way to compare players because the players commonly compared as the “greatest” all played in different time periods where the value of certain skills changes over time. Bill Russell played in the 1960s, when rules were more rigid and strict, meaning his skill as a “shot-blocker” was crucial to winning. Jordan played the prime of his career in the 1990s when defenses were allowed to play more brutish and physical, which meant Jordan’s skill in isolation (posting-up players, beating them off the dribble, etc) was essential. Lebron James, a current player who is commonly discussed as one of the greats, is playing in the 2010s, where three point shooting has emerged as the most effective way to increase already-potent offenses, which means his skill as a passer and finding the open shooter are imperative to his team’s success. Essentially, each era of basketball requires different skills in order to thrive.
The aspect I deem most important to determining the greatest player of all time is the legacy you leave behind. Regardless of what era they played in, the greatest player of all time would have an impact on the league that transcends the time they competed. Although this seems subjective in nature, Jordan left a tangible legacy that altered the sport of basketball’s history. During the 1990s, when Jordan was present in the league, he won a championship every single year except 1995. He was a winner and a player that hoopers wanted to imitate. The 2000s, the era directly following Jordan and filled with players who watched him growing up, are now infamous for having many players mimicking Jordan offensively, including all-time greats like Kobe Bryant. People wanted to be like Mike. That was his legacy in the league.
Outside of the league, Jordan’s popularity was the impetus behind basketball becoming a more global sport. In the 1970s and ‘80s, the NBA had image issues. There was heavy cocaine usage, which peaked with the passing of number two overall pick Len Bias in 1986. Jordan was the new face the league needed, and he rebranded the league as the pinnacle of athletic accomplishment through his high-flying dunks and high-scoring games. Jordan is the reason that basketball is popular in Europe today, and European players accounted for 13 percent of the most recent NBA draft. Jordan is also the reason the league has a strong presence in China. In Game Six of the 2019 NBA Finals, there were more Chinese viewers (approximately 21 million) than there were North American viewers (19 million). The NBA’s international success is, without exaggeration, due to the star that was Michael Jordan.
To decide who the greatest player of all time is, one must take into consideration all the aspects I mentioned, and not focus on one in particular. Jordan has the legacy, he has the accolades and he definitely had the skill. Holistically, he is the greatest player to ever live.