will there ever be another Miacheal jordan as in popularity and skills?

Question

Air jordan set the bar so high I dont think anyone can match his fame and skills

Answer 1

Kobe Bryant.

Answer 2

People will catch up to his skills. They may already have...

But to have the popularity and innovation on a global scale..... I don't know if that will be matched. I mean, if you think about it, the great players today, want to be like Jordan.

They even get signed to Jordan's shoe brand. They don't come out with their own..... not the entire line of clothing, shoes, etc. They are trying to do that with Lebron, but it's not the same, the bar has already been established by Jordan. Jordan wanted to be involved with the designs and everything. Now, they do the same thing with many top athletes.

Jordan had a style about him that's still being copied today. Until some new players change the style again, I can't see them being on Jordan's level.

There are just many things about Jordan, as a player, businessman, professional, and a person that won't be matched. And quite frankly, I don't ever want to see it. Everyone is unique, and that's what makes them special.

I'm so tired of hearing about the "NEXT" Jordan. There is only one Jordan. Just like there is only one Kobe, or Shaq. Just enjoy their games and stop comparing them!

Answer 3

No. Nobody can equal Jordan. In the same way that Jordan never equalled the likes of Magic, Bird, Dr. J, Wilt the Stilt, Bill Russel, Havlicek, Jerry West. They are all unique and were placed in different situations, with different teamates and in different stages of the sport's development. Jordan was fantastic, a one in a zillion, but to a large extent his popularity was helped by all those sponsorships which were not readily available to the previous stars. And now you have Kobe, Wade, Lebron and half a dozen more fighting for the same market niche.

Answer 4

In terms of popularity, impossible. When you think of Jordan you think of Basketball. True enough Michael has been the ambassador of the NBA across the world. I remember T-Mac in an interview, he asked a person in Europe: Who do you think am I, the person smiled and gamely said: Michael Jordan! In your face! In terms of skills I think Kobe is fastly approaching Jordan's skills, talent-wise. Kobe just lacks the leadership Mike brings to the floor everynight. If he succeeds conquering that, there would be no stopping Kobe.

Answer 5

the only way we will ever know is if they change the rules back to how they used to be. when jordan was playing there was no hand checking rule, and flagrant fouls werent that commonly called. now days if you breathe on a player too hard when hes going to the basket, you get called for a foul. you see what happened to tim duncan, he got ejected for laughing. the league has been constantly changing the rules to bring in fans since Jordan left. the cloeset player to him is wade, cuz he goes to the basket and takes a pounding similar to what jordan did. he is a lot more similar to jordan than people realize, he had to get over the hump of beating detroit in the conference finals, he had to beat teams with more talent, his 3 point shooting isnt that strong, just like jordan early in his career. but there is always different talent in the league, there will never be a next anybody, just the next best...

Answer 6

Kobe is a better pure scorer. Jordan however is unmatched as a leader on court. Also, MJ is more universally popular, Kobe has a reputation as a dirty player which I think is unfair. It is to early to see how good best friends King James and D Wade can be.

Still, there is only one MJ and His Airness is above the rest.

Answer 7

Aside from MJ skills...we know they were great, but due to him transcending the game making it international. We will never see that again. MJ's popularity is on a global scale.

Think of it for a second...MJ brought in the long shorts...the bald head...short socks...black socks...black shoes...infact shoes period!!! Nike was a good shoe before MJ...but his shoes made them...an international icon in footwear.

Carmelo is great, but he wears MJ's shoe, LeBron & Kobe are great, but they wear a brand that MJ put on the map.

Wearing a knee brace was made fashionable, also the wrist band on the forearm. Things that we find cool via fashion from a basketball standpoint was started by...MJ.

People keep talking about the on the court things. He still is the best there, but off the court success...he is in another stratosphrere. But even that was brought on by his play on the court.

Answer 8

Yes, of course there will be--in regards to both categories.

First, allow me to say that I grew up in Central Illinois, following Jordan and the 90s Bulls. To that end, I'm still a Bulls fan.

As to popularity:
Basketball is, by far, the fastest growing sport with regards to worldwide popularity. In my opinion, there's been an incredible surge in the quality of basketball talent produced, worldwide. At the risk of committing the equivalent of basketball heresy, the level of basketball being played currently, at both a quality and skill level, far accedes that of the mid-late 1990's.

As far as the lasting impression Michael Jordan has left on the sport, it's permanent. Michael Jordan is the answer to Mickey Mantle in baseball; Joe Montana in football. Wayne Gretzky in hockey. He was, is, and always will be the athlete whom fans link not just to a franchise, but a league. However, similar to those guys, he will not last forever. There will be younger athletes who'll take his place. This is not to discount Michael Jordan's commercial popularity. Rather, it is the simple fact that similar to the fact that Magic Johnson and Larry Bird gradually faded into oblivion deeper into the '90's, Michael's lasting popularity will only be palpable with the (strangely, aging) 20+ demographic.
Basketball's growing worldwide popularity will launch another athlete into the global public's heart. Consider the top selling jerseys in China (the biggest market on Earth):
1. Kobe Bryant
2. Allen Iverson
3. Tracy McGrady
4. Dwyane Wade
5. LeBron James

On a global level, Michael Jordan never experienced the same adoration that the current NBA stars experience.

Now, talent...
Many are quick to label Michael Jordan the best ever. I do not mean to suggest that he is not, clearly, one of the greatest athletes in American professional sports history. From a perspective of talent, drive, clutch, etc, Michael Jordan is clearly at the top of the list. There will never be another Mike, similar to the fact that there will never be another Jerry West or Oscar Robertson. Therein lies the problem. In my opinion, you can not fairly compare a Tim Duncan and an Allen Iverson, even if they played in the same era, achieving great individual success. They don't play the same position! How does one accurately compare these guys' skills, really? To that end, what ammount of contribution/blame do you attribute to the success of an individual basketball player's team? Certainly, nobody would suggest that Kevin Garnett does not to win, right?

The problem with comparing skill is, that frankly, it is impossible to effectively do, without subscribing to one of John Hollinger's theories on espn.com, which are stastically effective, however have no concrete measurement for true intangibles, which contribute to a player's contribution (forcing turnovers, causing double teams, etc). Michael Jordan is, clearly, the most skilled two guard in NBA history. But how do you compare him to Wilt Chamberlain? It can't be done.

Another athlete will emerge, who will not only surpass Michael's popularity, but also his skill level. The game has continued to evolve, since its inception. I do not anticipate a sudden hault in this trend. The game's global popularity is expanding, rapidly. So too will the quality of play continue to improve, as the play of the globe does the same.

Perhaps a better question would be to consider the overall significance of players per era---Cousy/Russell, Wilt, DrJ/Magic/Bird, Jordan/Malone, Shaq/Iverson, etc, etc.

Or, how does the NBA's stringent hand-checking fouls influence the ability of twos and threes to score in the league? In my opinion, today's NBA is, by far, designed for wings to run up large scoring numbers, simply because their defenders are comparably handicapped compared to previous era's. Let's be honest, it's a scoring league right now. That certainly plays in the favor of the aspiring superstar.

Answer 9

Yes. But not likely in our lifetime. Lebron and Wade have yet to truly transcend the sport of basketball to people around the world like Jordan did.

Answer 10

1 person even comes close to MJ,

Kobe Bryant.

i am no lakers fan or Kobe fan but i think if anyone is more like MJ is Kobe.

BTW kobe isnt close to MJ in skills, maybe in popularity but kobe has a long way to go before being mentioned in the same ranks as Michael Jordan.
but the closest to MJ Is kobe.