If Michael and Magic played together on the same team instead of against each other in the spirit of competition and rivalry, would people even tune in to watch the NBA Finals every year? (Off the subject but who remembers Magic's signature shoes from Converse? I think they were called the Converse Magic but it's been a while and I'm not exactly sure)
I recently read an article that quoted Michael Jordan saying that if put in a similar position as James he wouldn't have made the same decision.
"There's no way, with hindsight, I would've ever called up Larry [Bird], called up Magic [Johnson] and said, 'Hey, look, let's get together and play on one team,' " Jordan said after playing in a celebrity golf tournament in Nevada. "But that's ... things are different. I can't say that's a bad thing. It's an opportunity these kids have today. In all honesty, I was trying to beat those guys."
Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley have also been quoted on separate occasions, agreeing with Jordan's opinion. So what's wrong with that? Nothing. Just like there's nothing wrong with Lebron James joining the Heat. The opportunity was there, so he took it. Period. End of story. Let's move on.
What irritates me is all this garbage from LBJ supporters in the media who are trying to downplay the MJ, Magic and Barkley criticism by saying that these Hall of Famers lived in a different time when the sport was played under the rule of competition and rivalries.
Huh?
So what did we just see this past June in the NBA Finals? I'd say the "competition" and "rivalry" displayed by the Lakers and Celtics in the Finals matched what MJ, Magic, Bird, Barkley even Jerry West and Bill Russell had back in "their time", wouldn't you agree? And since when did the sport of basketball stop being competitive?
"To be the best, you have to beat the best." If there was no competition to push their limits, would MJ and Larry have been as great as they were?
The word "sports", "competition" and "rivalry" almost always go hand in hand. If you still doubt that statement, let's consult with Merriam-Webster shall we?
Sports - physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively
Competition - the act or process of competing : rivalry: as the effort of two or more parties acting independently to secure the business of a third party by offering the most favorable terms 2 : a contest between rivals; also : one's competitors
Rival - one of two or more striving to reach or obtain something that only one can possess b : one striving for competitive advantage
So saying that MJ and Magic played in a different time where competition and rivalry was the rule just to help relieve a bit of the sting from their criticism of Lebron's decision to join the Miami Heat is a bit of a stretch. So let's put this topic and the rest of the LBJ-Decision topics to bed and let's just wait and see what happens this upcoming NBA season. Because to me, the game of basketball is always going to be about competiton, rivalry and wanting to be the very best. And if that ever changes, then I guarantee that basketball will have one less fan.
How exciting would it have been to watch these two great competitors battle it out for NBA supremacy in their primes? MJ is probably just imparting words of wisdom to a very young but very competitive Kobe Bryant..."Listen here young buck, there may be no 'I' in team but you need an 'I' to WIN!" (I just made that up...he really didn't say that...or did he?)
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