Phil Jackson says LeBron James can reach Michael Jordan’s level, but is not there yet – NBA News
Phil Jackson has once again started the Michael Jordan vs LeBron James debate after saying in an interview that James had the talent and skills to equal Jordan’s record and perhaps join him in the category of the greatest basketball player ever. Jackson, who is an 11 time NBA champion as a coach as was the Head Coach of the Chicago Bulls during those six championships that the Bulls won, is considered a great authority on NBA as well as Jordan. And his statement has people thinking whether James truly can out-do what Jordan has done over the course of his career.
"He's got all the physical attributes. He is a player that can play four positions. This is unique; Michael could play three and was very good at all three of those, but as a power player that LeBron can become, I think he has an opportunity to explore and advance some of the status that he has already gained,” said Jackson while appearing on “The Waddle and Silvy Show” on ESPN 1000 in Chicago last week.
Jordan is a 10 time scoring champion, 6 time NBA champion, 5 time regular season MVP and 6 time NBA Finals MVP. Plus, he has never lost an NBA Finals series. James on the other hand, has already won 3 regular season MVP titles, 1 scoring title and 1 NBA championship, although he lost two NBA Finals before clinching his first title this past season. Plus, James is only 27, a year younger than Jordan’s age when he won his first NBA title. And now that he has won the elusive first title and just returned from winning gold medal at the London Olympics where he was the unanimous leader of the team, many expect him to show his true talents and skills at this stage of his career.
"Winning six championships is an elusive thing out there, and they haven't won two yet. But he's kinda got the smell of it, and even the Olympic experience this summer. I think he's there, I think he's at that position,” added Jackson.
Jackson believes that James needs to improve his post moves and also add more variety to his shooting skills if he wants to jump to an ever higher level in the NBA. He also said that it would be more difficult for the Heat to win the NBA championship next season, with teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder strong contenders as well.
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