Derick E. Hingle-USA Today Sports
Hey, Dennis Rodman is in the news and no, it’s not related to another trip to North Korea.
Rodman was on the Dan Patrick Show on Friday morning and he said that the comparison between Michael Jordan and LeBron James is not even worth a comparison. He went as far as to say that James would simply be an average player had he hit the hardwood during his days.
“It’s really not a comparison. If LeBron was playing in the late ’80s and early ’90s, he would be just an average player,” Rodman said. “To do what Michael has done … what he did was more charisma, there was more articulating and stuff like that. LeBron is more like … there’s no flash to his game. He’s a great player, don’t get me wrong, he’s a hell of player, I’ll give him that. But to me Scottie (Pippen) and Michael are probably the two best one-two punches I’ve ever seen.”
Rodman is simply looking for attention and sadly enough, he’s getting it.
The whole Jordan-LeBron debate is one thing, but let’s just look at what Rodman is saying instead of the actual comparison. There’s no way to actually judge what LeBron would have actually been able to do in the 80s, but he is a 6-foot-8, 250 lbs. specimen with freakish athletic ability. Who’s to say that he would’ve been an average player? Sure, Rodman is known for being a tough-guy and a bruiser on the court, so there’s no doubt that he surely would not have been phased by what LeBron had to offer, but that doesn’t mean he would be an average player. That’s just Rodman’s perspective.
Rodman also states that James has “no flash to his game” and that’s just mind-boggling. Did he not see the clip of James catching and finishing the alley oop on Jason Terry earlier this season.
Here’s a player who has won four of the last five MVP awards. To say that LeBron would be an average player in the 80s is not only a slap in the face to James, but to the entire NBA right now. So the guy who has won four of five MVPs would have been average? What’s that say about players like Chris Paul, Kevin Durant or Tony Parker even? They would’ve been average too? Maybe even below average?
Rodman could not be more wrong.
Follow Paul Seaver on Twitter: @PaulSeaverRS
