LeBron James has been compared to Michael Jordan throughout his entire career, attaining many accolades that put him in the discussion as the greatest of all-time (GOAT). The biggest and hottest topic right now in the NBA is the comparison between Jordan and James. Some believe James has accomplished enough to earn the right to be called the GOAT, but some believe that he is still nowhere near the great Mike.
Whether he should be considered better than Jordan or not, James continues to make history. Thursday night against the Boston Celtics, he passed Jordan for number one on the all-time playoffs scoring list on his way to a seventh consecutive NBA Finals appearance, looking to win championship number four.
LeBron James’ number 23 inspired by Michael Jordan
James has drawn many comparisons to Michael Jordan as far as accomplishments go, but the most obvious comparison is his jersey number. Many people already know that his decision to wear Number 23 is mainly because of Jordan, and he does not hide that fact.
“I wear the number [23] because of Mike,” James said. “I think I fell in love with the game because of Mike. When you’re growing up and you’re seeing Michael Jordan, it’s almost like a god.”
Those are some strong words from James, praising Jordan for his greatness. He has definitely lived up to the expectations and deserves to wear 23 on his chest and back. However, there was once a time when James did not wear the number 23.
In his four years in Miami, James chose to wear the number six, but he changed it back to 23 when he returned home to Cleveland.
LeBron once wanted #23 retired league-wide
There was also a time when James wanted the league to surrender the number 23. Nearly eight years ago, James wanted to initiate a movement where any player wearing the number 23 would have to change their number as an homage to Michael Jordan.
Of course, the movement never happened, but it was another way James showed his appreciation for Jordan.
At least James is honoring Jordan’s jersey number by making his eighth overall Finals appearance, becoming the leader in playoffs scoring, winning three championship rings, four regular-season MVPs, and two Finals MVPs.
James and the Cavaliers are set to take on the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, June 1st, in Oakland, which will be the third consecutive year that these two teams will face-off in the NBA Finals. Can LeBron James add to his legacy by winning a fourth championship ring? We shall soon find out.
