No one in sports media is more connected to both Michael Jordan and LeBron James than Michael Wilbon. According to Wilbon, the perception of their rivalry is not what it seems.
Wilbon appeared on “First Take” on Wednesday and described how Jordan used to tell people at ESPN to ease up on James for not winning a championship early in his career.
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“It took LeBron seven years to win a championship, like it took Michael,” Wilbon said. “I remember having a conversation with Michael after James lost to the Celtics in the 2020 playoffs. Michael said, ‘Hey, take it easy on this kid.’ And Michael had a list of things he really liked about LeBron James.”
“If people think Jordan has somehow resented LeBron, they’re wrong.”
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The segment covered an ESPN profile on James as his career winds down. In the interview, James discussed choosing to wear No. 23 in homage to his childhood idol.
“I hope I made him proud at least, wearing that No. 23,” James told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
Despite how James viewed Jordan during his playing career, talk shows framed the two against each other for most of James’ prime. Skip Bayless built a career debating LeBron versus Jordan at nearly every stage of James’ run.
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LeBron vs. Jordan defined the “hot take” era of sports media. It elevated not only Bayless but also Stephen A. Smith, Nick Wright, Colin Cowherd and Shannon Sharpe.
The debate was largely symbolic. There is no literal greatest of all time. It is not a real title. Still, fans embraced it, engaging and arguing about it across social media.
Interest in the discussion faded later in James’ career. His move to the Lakers signaled a shift away from chasing Jordan’s six championships, though he won a fourth title in his second season in Los Angeles.
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James also became a more polarizing figure around 2018 as he leaned into political, social and racial issues. That shift coincided with declining viewership for his games.
By comparison, Jordan preached, “Republicans buy sneakers too.” Jordan appealed to all sports fans. James cut his appeal in half through his criticism of Donald Trump, support for BLM and defense of the Chinese Communist Party.
Between Jordan’s apolitical bona fides and six rings, the public has made a decision: Jordan is greater than LeBron.
Still, as Wilbon reports, the debate never drove Jordan or James as much as it did the media and the audience. That context matters as James approaches the final stage of his career. Regardless of what you think of James as a person, he is one of the greatest American athletes of all time.
Case in point: He has led the Lakers to a 3-1 series lead over the Rockets at 41-years-old, while his co-stars are out with injury.
If you enjoy Michael Wilbon’s insights, he spoke with OutKick twice in the past year. You can read those interviews here: Part 1 and Part 2.
