The 1990s witnessed, without doubt or debate, the greatest player in NBA history. Michael Jordan became the league’s defining face, while the opponents he faced also shone in their own right.
Today, only a few players truly stand out for their achievements. Among them, the most notable is LeBron James, who, across 23 seasons on professional courts, has left an extraordinary legacy.
However, he still lacks that aura Jordan possessed. The magic that surrounded the Chicago Bulls’ No. 23 has not been replicated by any other player. Others may surpass him in points, rebounds, steals, or shooting, but his essence remains unique.
The numbers are clear, as is history. The league has not matched the global audience levels it reached during Jordan’s era.
A new list places Stephen Curry above Michael Jordan
This past weekend, Bleacher Report released a new ranking of the 15 greatest scorers of all time. In that list, Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry was placed at No. 1, pushing His Airness down to third place.
As expected, reactions were immediate. Metta Sandiford-Artest, also known as Ron Artest or Metta World Peace, was particularly critical of the ranking.
No way.”… “Jordan is the best scorer. Please stop. He averaged 28 points rookie year. Rookie year. All day. Y’all need to stop. 6 rings. 6 Finals MVPs. 9 scoring titles. 9 scoring titles. That’s 9. Do you understand. 9 scoring titles. This will be the one accolade that will never be reached. It’s the number one accolade outside of MVP. MJ. Please stop mentioning MJ. It’s not even the same conversation.
He wrote on his X account.
Artest, who won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2010, was known as an elite defender, giving weight to his perspective when discussing both players.
The list created by Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report relied on three metrics for its ranking:
- Points per 75 possessions
- Relative true shooting percentage
- Free throw attempt rate
For Jordan, points per 75 possessions stands at 30.3, while Curry records 26.7. However, in three-point attempts, Curry leads with 24.2, while Jordan ranks as low as 29th. His Airness maintained the edge in game-winning shots.
Update on Stephen Curry’s injury
On March 23, 2023, Curry was cleared to return to practice and is expected to resume contact with teammates soon. As a result, he is projected to return this Wednesday, March 25, when the Warriors face the Brooklyn Nets.
Since January 30, the star guard has been absent from the court, which has contributed to the team slipping in the Western Conference standings.
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