Why do people consider Michael Jordan as the greatest player ever?

Question

Personally I think MJ as in Magic Johnson, to be the greatest ever.

I always thought Jordan was great... one of the best ever in fact. I just never thought he was the greatest! I know people would like to continue living in the Jordan dream world, believing everything "All Powerful ESPN" told us, but basketball didn't start in the 90's, the leagues over 60 years old! People need to realize there are so many other great players, like Magic, Kareem, Jerry West, Wilt. Russell, I could go on and on.

What do you think? Do people think basketball started in the 90's? Why are poeple today so oblivious?

Answer 1

You need to get a clue kid, Magic isn't better than MJ, Magic's pretty much said so himself. Take it from YOUR OWN WORDS, you say people are oblivious, you are such a moron, another wanna be Alpha Wolf or Hoopfan, I assume. ESPN or the MEDIA is just what it is, in my mind I form MY OWN opinions on stuff, and could care less what ESPN says,I think ESPN is an intelligent source, but I have watched NBA basketball all my life and Jordan really stands out above the crowd.

But if you don't believe my words, believe Phil Jackson's: "He's incredible, definitely one of the best ever."

The stats speak pretty loud for themselves too:

Awards
NCAA Champion
14 time All-Star
Olympic Gold Medalist
Five time MVP
7 time The Sporting News MVP
Rookie of the Year
Defensive Player of the Year
11 times All-NBA—10 times first team, 1 time second team
9 time All-Defensive First Team
1 time Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of the Year"
Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History

Records

Most scoring titles
Most NBA Finals MVP awards
Highest career scoring average
Highest career scoring average playoffs
lost consecutive games scoring in double figures
Highest single series scoring average NBA Finals

Jordan:

Achievements:

Scored in double-digits in all but one of 1,109 games as a Chicago Bull

Scored 20 or more points in 1,099 games (926 regular season, 173 postseason)

Scored 30 or more points in 671 games (562 regular season, 109 postseason)

Scored 40 or more points in 211 games (173 regular season, 38 postseason)

Scored 50 or more points in 39 games (31 regular season, 8 postseason)

Scored 60 or more points in 5 games (4 regular season, 1 postseason)

Recorded 30 triple-doubles (28 regular season, 2 postseason)

Recorded 240 double-doubles (201 regular
season, 39 postseason)

11-time regular season leader, total points (1984-85, 1986-93, 1995-98)

10-time regular season leader, scoring average (1986-93, 1995-98)

There's Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us." —Magic Johnson

"Michael is the best overall basketball player ever." -Steve Kerr

Jordan scored a playoff record 63 points against the Boston Celtics in 1986, Celtics star Larry Bird described him as "God disguised as Michael Jordan.

Jordan's total of 5,987 points in the playoffs is the highest in NBA history.

He retired with 32,292 points32,292 points placing him third on the NBA's all-time scoring list behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone.

In 1988, he was honored with the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Award and became the first NBA player to win both the Defensive Player of the Year and MVP awards in a career

He set records for blocked shots by a guard, and combined this with his ball-thieving ability to become a standout defensive player. His 2,514 steals are the second of all-time behind John Stockton and had 3 steal titles in his career.

ESPN ranked him as the best athlete of the 20th century

College career:

Member of the NCAA Division I Championship team in 1982

Named NCAA College Player of the Year in 1983 and 1984

Unanimous selection for First Team All-American in 1983 and 1984

Winner of the Dr. James Naismith Award in 1984

Left North Carolina after his Junior year

Jordan left after his junior year to join the NBA, where he was the third pick in the first round by the Chicago Bulls. During his career in the NBA, Jordan wore his Carolina shorts underneath his Bull's shorts for good luck. :)

Additional reasons:

In 2005 sports Illustrated did a survey of 200 active NBA players, asking who they thought was the best ever, 78% said Michael Jordan.

With five regular-season MVPs, six Finals MVPs (NBA record), and three All-Star MVPs, Jordan is the most decorated player ever to play in the NBA. Jordan finished among the top three in regular-season MVP voting a record 10 times, and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996.

Jordan placed second to Babe Ruth in the Associated Press's list of 20th century athletes. Jordan has also appeared on the front cover of Sports Illustrated a record 49 times.He also was named the greatest athlete of all-time in the 50th anniversary issue of Sport magazine in 1997.

AS COMPARED TO KOBE BRYANT:

Kobe jockers always say when you look at career stats you shouldn't count the first two seasons when Kobe rode the bench; I'll take those out of the following stats, but to be fair to MJ, I'll take out the two seasons with Washington when he was older.

Kobe stats: (Without 1st 2 seasons)

28.6 PPG
5.8 RPG
5.2 APG
1.7 SPG
.9 BPG
--------------------------------------...
MJ stats: (without 2 seasons in Washington)

31.5 PPG
6.3 RPG
5.4 APG
2.6 SPG
1.2 BPG
--------------------------------------...
So MJ wins everything! He wins points per game convincingly, gets rebounds and assists easily, and kills Kobe in the defensive numbers. Additionally:

Other noteworthy stats:

Finals MVP's:

MJ 6

Kobe 0

MJ wins!

Rings:

MJ 6

Kobe 3

MJ wins again

Times names SI sportsman of the year:

MJ 1

Kobe 0

NCAA Championships:

MJ 1

Kobe 0

Won NBA title as lead man:

MJ 6

Kobe 0

MJ wins again!

Steal titles:

MJ 3

Kobe 0

MJ wins

and lastly,

future HOF'ers each player has played with:

Kobe: 4 (Shaq, Payton, Malone, Coach Jackson)

MJ 2 (Pippen, Coach Jackson)

So MJ played with less talent and has won three more titles?

AS COMPARED TO SCOTTIE PIPPEN:

32,292 points for MJ, 18656 points, MJ 10 scoring titles, Pip 0!

He also is because Alpha Wolf said so http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AheHIPCXvpivWD40Ni9_h0vty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20070226194353AA5wdXy&show=7#profile-info-AA12276356, lol.

Don't let Alpha "Wolf" fool you, he is a sheep. Also he really thinks MJ is the greatest, as you can see with the link above!
Explain that Alpha!

Answer 2

I always say this, if a sport changes their rules the "help" dominate, then how good were you to begin with. If a sport changes their rules to "hinder" your domination...then you are truly dominate. The rules were bent greatly for Jordan during his run in the NBA, (ex. look at the push off against the Jazz). Players have more points, more rebounds, more assists, more rings, played when they weren't given everything (calls, "how many times did Jordan foul out a game?") and all that against better competition...or a least equal competition. Jordan changed the way people saw basketball as part of a global marketing campaign. BTW, I always thought Magic was a more complete player. But how Jordan got to be better than Robinson, Chamberlain, Russell, Cousy, Pettit, Abdul-Jabbar and Bird without any questions is beyond me.

Mike L: Magic didn't do anything that would have made him a great player????? HE AND BIRD SAVED THE LEAGUE. There wouldn't even have been an NBA for Jordan to come to without Magic & Bird. They saved basketball on a nationwide media level. In the 70's Basketball was the same a soccer is now (in America). The Finals were on tape-delay. Showing after the 11 o'clock news in most of the country. How can you say he did nothing. I respect if Jordan was your guy, but to say no one did nothing else is.....

Answer 3

Who is the greatest ever is very arguable as Jordan never grabbed over 10 boards a game or 10 assits but a couple of things make people feel this way about Jordan. He was super clutch and the most dominant scorer and defensive player and more then anything he conbined it with flare which is undeniable. He made the NBA more interesting to watch, he was an entertainer who could jump from the foul line with a grace hard to match and just had an amazing offensive game, combined with drive, and d. More then that his team holds the record at 72 wins. I don't think it's anyone thing he did so much as it's all the things he did as a whole that make people feel this way. You can't answer the who's the best ever honestly in my opinion but Jordan definately had the biggest impact on and off the court so if that's how you decide who's the best then he was. But yes there were better shooters, rebounders, blockers, then him etc. Kobe Bryant for one may actually be a better scorer just because he shoots a little better as far as pure jump shooting although he takes a lot of questionable shots that lower his %.

Answer 4

Magic, Kareem, West,Wilt, and Russell, DR J, Bird. They were all amazing players some of the best. But none of them had the impact Michael did not only just as a player but on the game. My vote goes to MJ as in Michael Jordan.

Answer 5

I look at those greatest ever, knowing that the only thing that one can honestly say is that so and so was one of the greatest all time players.
How could you compare different players from different eras?
what would Jerry West or Pistol Pete avg with a 3 point shot.
What kind of publicity would Wilt have gotten with ESPN and youtube? If Magic didn't have a Worthy or Jabbar, would he have avg more points and rebounds?

It's all just fun to argue about.

Answer 6

Because Nike made alot commercials and put tons of $$$$ into telling the mindless sheep that MJ was the GOAT....Jordan was a manufactured hero....just look at the person above me....she is a prime example!!!!....she says if Jordan did'nt retire the Bulls would have won "8 in a row"...Jordan came BACK in 1995!!!...the Bulls lost to Orlando!!!!...remember?....MJ lovers will tell you he was "Rusty"...but he played in almost 20 games before the playoffs...he dropped 55 points in the Garden....he was'nt rusty!!!..in fact in 1986 he only played in 20 games (just like in 1995) and still dropped 63 on Boston and Lost the game.....

Bulls lost in 1995 because there PF H. Grant left.......the next year they replaced Grant with Rodman and won 72 games.....Jordan was'nt the reason!!!..if jordan was the reason how come the bulls did'nt win 72 games in 91 , 92 , or 93??????....Jordan was great because Nike / ESPN sold him to us...(sad)

Answer 7

Jordan carried the Bulls to 6 NBA Championships. Without Jordan the Bulls would have been in the playoffs and out quickly. Kobe has fewer championships and without Kobe the Lakers may have made and won in the NBA Finals. Oh and a BIG AMEN to Alpha Tarheel!

Answer 8

the people are just giving their opinion. In my eyes, there will never be anyone like Michael Jordan. I use to have my boss not schedule me on the nights that the bulls were playing.

He is just a very personable person. He has charisma. And he was very good at basketball.

No one is forgetting all the other greats.

Answer 9

Jordan is the greatest ever....PERIOD. How many teams have won three in a row? Yeah, yeah, Celtics (when the sport was not as competitive as it has been in the past 10 years), Lakers, same thing...

Jordan won 3...retired...came back...AND DID IT AGAIN!!! Had he not retired, the Bulls would've won 8 in a row!!!!!!!

Answer 10

as a bulls fan,and a jordan fan this question is somewhat of an insult to a great man who changed the game, i get what your saying basketball has had other great players, magic, erving, kareem,russell,bird,the list goes on,but know one had the combination of skills,impact,and charisma as jordan did 2 time 3peat champion,multiple mvp awards, excellent dunker, CLUTCH shooter, he took over games and dominated like know one ever did or ever would, been said that....DONT EVER THINK TWICE OF WHY MICHAEL JORDAN IS THE GREATEST......AND FOREVER WILL BE....I MISS THOSE YEARS......#1 JORDAN !!

Answer 11

I know what you mean. I think part of it is hype...although he did have tremendous skills and flair. He was also the right guy at the right time. The NBA certainly benefited from his popularity almost as much as he did. He drew a lot of fans into the sport.

I think Bill Russell gets my vote for the best ever because he revolutionized every part of the game. In 2000 the sports writers poll agreed naming Russell the most important athlete of the 20th century.