GOAT - Jordan vs LeBron

I do not normally write blogs about sports that do not tie into either recovery or my faith in one way or another. This blog will take a look at common sense, and nothing else. There are many who argue Jordan and others who argue LeBron as the G.O.A.T. ie Greatest of all Time at his sport. Here is a small list of accomplishments that Jordan has and which make him in my opinion and in many categories the greatest of all time:

1. Won the NCAA Championship
2. Naismith NCAA Player of the Year
3. Jordan's Bulls NEVER MISSED THE PLAYOFFS.............EVER (that means even as a rookie)
4. Rookie of the Year
5. Led the NBA in Scoring 10 times
6. Led the NBA in Steals 3 times
7. Scored 40 points 212 games
8. Scored 50 points 39 games
9. Scored 60 points 5 game
10. Broke 40 in a game at the age of 40
11. Failed to score double digits only one time as a Bull
12. 5 of the top 10 scoring games of all time
13. As a rookie led his team in scoring, steals, rebounds and assists for the season
14. Only player to lead the NBA in scoring and win defensive player of the year
15. First player in the NBA to lead the league in scoring and steals
16. Holds 6 of the top 10 highest playoff series scoring averages
17. Went to the NBA Finals 6 times
18. Never lost an NBA Final
19. Was the NBA Finals MVP everytime he played in it
20. 5 Time NBA Player of the Year
21. 2 Time Winner of the Olympic Gold Medal
22. 9 All-Defensive First Team Selections
23. 14 Time NBA All Star
24. Won the Slam Dunk contest twice
25. Put up 38 points in a playoff game WHILE HAVING THE FLU AND BEING GIVEN FLUIDS FOR DEHYDRATION

Jordan had one thing that many other players do not. He had the will to finish games and when it was the big stage, he played even better. He averaged more points, blocks, assists and rebounds in the playoffs than he did during the regular season. He played with a desire that was unparalleled, and could put a team on his back and run with it. He never disappeared during the playoffs, averaging almost 3 and a half points more a game in the playoffs than the regular season. If the game is on the line, and it is the last play in game 7 of the finals there is no one better than MJ, period.

Comparisons of MJ, LeBron and Kobie at 28 show us that Jordan scores almost 5 more points per game, one more steal per game while the blocks are about even with LeBron. Lebron averages one more assist per game and one more rebound per game than MJ. Kobe is not even close, as LeBron is ahead of Kobe in every category we just mentioned. LeBron is better than Kobe, MJ better than LeBron.

That said, LeBron is a beast and he will continue to get better. I may be prejudiced, since I grew up in Illinois during the Jordan era and was at a game where he put up 50 but so far I choose Jordan based on his statistics and the sheer willpower he brought to win the game.

Pride Goeth Before a Fall

Pride is Biblically one of those things that we are to not have. It is a character trait that is not to be admired. In the King James version of the Bible it states, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

I quote the King James Version because it is very fitting that the King James version would give this warning to someone that is also referred to as King James. To others he is known as simply LeBron James. Today I would like to personally thank LeBron and the Miami Heat for reminding me that pride does not lead us to be successful.  If anything, pride sets us up for destruction.

Last night, in game 6 of the NBA finals, the Dallas Mavericks led by Dirk Nowitzki defeated the Miami Heat's trio of all stars led by LeBron. I was glad to see Dallas win after the way that Miami and LeBron celebrated his signing with them at the beginning of this basketball season.

"Not one, not two, not three, not four," James said. And he wasn't finished.  "Not five, not six, not seven." He trumpeted from stage as he guaranteed multiple championships. I believed him, even though I am a Chicago Bulls fan. I thought that the combination of LeBron, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh would be unstoppable. I would have never predicted that they would not have the best record in the league (they had the third best) or that they would not win the NBA championship. He and I both seemed to forget the warning the Bible gives us multiple times:

Obadiah 1:3 "The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’"


Isaiah 23:9 "The LORD Almighty planned it, to bring low the pride of all glory and to humble all who are renowned on the earth."


1 Corinthians 13:4 "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud."


Even in the Biblical book bearing the last name of LeBron, James 4:6b states, "God opposes the proud, but shows favor to the humble," which is actually a quote from Proverbs 3:34.


Pride, boastfulness and haughtiness are all things that we should avoid, or we will find ourselves in trouble with the person who truly counts, God. I do not care if I am poor or if I, like LeBron, were to reach his goal of being a billionaire. I would rather be poor in this life and live in bliss for eternity than store up treasures on Earth to find myself on the wrong side of God. 


This leads us to the question how should I act? James 4:10 says, "Humble yourselves, and He will lift you up" and 1 Peter 5:6 says to, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time." 


This means that we are not the most important thing in the world. We need to get over ourselves and realize that there is only one with true power, and it is not us. If we are humble than God will give us the power to overcome all things. If we are boastful and prideful, then God will not. We should all take a lesson from the first step of recovery, which states that we realize that we are powerless. LeBron seemed to believe that he was all powerful, and thus has alienated some fans and possibly God Himself. 

In the end I thought that maybe LeBron James does get it. His twitter post after the game said, "The Greater Man upstairs know when it's my time. Right now isn't the time."

That sounds like a man who has come to realize that there is a greater power than he. I was happy for LeBron after I read his twitter in the sports news. I was beginning to think that maybe he was the young man who had his head on his shoulders and not in the clouds like I had thought, before the past year had occurred. Then I read his after game interview quote:

"At the end of the day, all the people that were rooting for me to fail ... at the end of the day, tomorrow they have to wake up and have the same life that [they had] before they woke up today. They got the same personal problems they had today. And I'm going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things I want to do."

His pride has once again reared its' ugly head. I only hope that we can take a look at how he has acted and reacted to others and learn a lesson. I know that he is only reacting to what others have said and done, but two rights do not make a wrong. Even though the Bible tells us in what is commonly known as the Golden Rule to do to others as we would have them do us (Matthew 7:12), I would tell us as Christians to go one further and treat others better than you want to be treated.

Remember Matthew 25 says that what we have done to the least of man, we have done to God Himself. When you are wronged by someone you should still treat them with love and respect, for when we stand before God do we want  Him to treat us as we on this world treated others? Do we want Him to treat us as we deserve? I know that I  do not, how about you?