Charles Oakley rubbishes LeBron James - Michael Jordan comparison: NBA Update
Charles Oakley has straight off the dismissed talk of a comparison between LeBron James and Michael Jordan. The former NBA All-Star and current Charlotte Bobcats assistant coach said there was no question in his mind that James
did not posses what it took to fall in the same category as his former teammate Michael Jordan.
Oakley played with Jordan with the Chicago Bulls when he wasn’t yet winning NBA World Championships in a league dominated by Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics and Magic Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers. He knows LeBron pretty well but said
that even during the years when Michael wasn’t winning, he was at a higher level than James.
“I wouldn’t put them in the same conversation.” Oakley said in the interview to Hoopsworld.
“It took a while for Michael to win championships too, but they have a different swagger, a different demeanour.” Oakley pointed out.
Jordan, considered widely as the greatest basketball player of all time, played the shooting guard position. He had speed and skill unmatched throughout the history of the league and was a simply unstoppable force on offence, where
he could score, and he did, with his eyes closed.
James is a phenomenon himself. With his size and speed, not to mention ability and vision, he has grown to be arguably the best basketball player at present, but he seems to lack the killer instinct that Jordan had.
Oakley went on to confirm what most basketball analysts have been saying for years. The closest thing to Jordan is not LeBron, but Los Angeles Lakers super star Kobe Bryant. Bryant has many of the traits that Jordan displayed,
and he has also been hugely successful, winning 5 NBA World Championships so far.
“If I would compare anybody to Michael Jordan, it would be Kobe Bryant. Point blank. I know LeBron well; he don’t have what Michael have so I’m not even gonna discuss that one.” Charles said.
He also had some advice for the Miami Heat super star.
“To be a superstar (LeBron) has to go back to his fundamentals… work on his post game, work off the ball.”
James has been hugely impressive since making the move from Cleveland Cavaliers to Miami and dominated during the season and most of the playoffs. However some kinks in his armour were exposed in the NBA Finals series against the
Dallas Mavericks.
James though phenomenal on defence, struggled at times to score freely and take the game by the scruff of the neck. Oakley believes, like some other NBA analysts, that James relatively weak post game and if that were to be rectified
he could truly set the world alight next season.
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