King James Gospel
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Is LeBron James the Fulfillment of Michael Jordan’s Prophecy?

ByOmar Josef Guerrero|

Michael Jordan is not a prophet but he has the confidence to predict his own success and he may have unknowingly done the same for LeBron James. Back in October 1998, Jordan published an autobiography that revealed much of his thoughts on his NBA career and a future great player in the league after his retirement.

Interestingly, he also spoke in-depth about people’s perception of him as the greatest player ever. Essentially, Jordan said that if he had been born great without learning from other great players before him, then he would be willing to accept the title. But he learned from other the legends that preceded him like Elgin Baylor, David Thompson, Walter Davis, and Dr. J.

A Greater Player

Jordan concluded his book with a portent of things to come for the NBA about a player, someone he didn’t even know at the time he was writing his book, who was going to be greater than him.

Evolution knows no bounds. Unless they change the height of the basket or otherwise alter the dimensions of the game, there will be a player much greater than me. – Michael Jordan

The following words are excerpted from his best-selling book, For the Love of the Game: My Story by Michael Jordan.

Somewhere there is a little kid working to enhance what we’ve done. It may take awhile, but someone will come along who approaches the game the way I did. He won’t skip steps. He won’t be afraid. He will learn from my example, just as I learned from others. He will master the fundamentals. Maybe he will take off from the free-throw line and do a 360 in midair. Why not? No one thought they would see a 6-foot-9 point guard or a 7-foot-7 center. But here we are. There are now more 6-foot-10 perimeter players than at any time in history. Magic would have been a center 30 years ago. Evolution knows no bounds. Unless they change the height of the basket or otherwise alter the dimensions of the game, there will be a player much greater than me.

I listened, I was aware of my success, but I never stopped trying to get better.

Jordan acknowledged that there is going to be someone who will become a greater player than him, someone who will be the next player to carry the baton from him and be considered greater than him.

Image courtesy of Sports Illustrated

The Chosen One

We all know how competitive Jordan is even going as far as to say that in his prime, he can beat today’s greats at their peak including Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and James. Except Kobe Bryant, he says because “he steals all my moves.” That’s not a compliment. It’s a knock on Kobe that he’s only great because he copied the Greatest of All-Time’s (G.O.A.T.) every move.

Besides, Kobe didn’t “evolve” as a better version of Jordan. He’s almost the same player even in the way he walks and talks. For a player to evolve into a greater player than Jordan, he has to be better, and that player may well be the one who will be playing in the 2015 NBA Finals wearing the same jersey number that he did—LeBron James.

Before you say that it’s an outrageous proposition at best, consider the body of work that James has accomplished so far and then consider, too, that his career isn’t close to being over just yet. As scary as it may seem, the best player in the game is still in his prime. And he’s still building his resume toward becoming the greatest ever, a goal that he has never shied away from, something that he wants to be considered as.

Straight out of high school, he had “Chosen One” tattooed on his back, claiming a title that suggests that he is the true Heir Jordan, chosen as the successor to the throne vacated by His Airness. If there ever was a player who had the skills and the potential to surpass Jordan, it’s Lebron. No one else comes close, not even Kobe.

LeBron’s Awards and Achievements

Among NBA players, there are few who rival LeBron in terms of awards and achievements and many of them are winding down their careers with very little time to add more accomplishments on their NBA ledger in the future. At 30 years of age with no signs of slowing down, James is on pace for a career unlike any other. He’s the closest that the NBA has ever had to being in the top five in several all-time career categories if he plays six to eight more years.

Below are LeBron’s awards and achievements so far.

Infographic courtesy of Inspirational Basketball

NBA Awards

  • 2 NBA Championships: 2012, 2013
  • 2 NBA Finals MVPs: 2012, 2013
  • 4 NBA Most Valuable Player Awards: 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013
  • 11 NBA All-Star Games: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
  • 2 NBA All-Star Game MVPs: 2006, 2008
  • 9 All-NBA First Team Selections: 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
  • 2 All-NBA Second Team Selections: 2005, 2007
  • 5 NBA All-Defensive First Team Selections: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
  • 1 NBA All-Defensive Second Team Selection: 2014
  • 2004 NBA Rookie of the Year
  • 2004 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • 2008 NBA Scoring Champion
  • 29 NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month Awards (NBA Record)
  • 48 NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week Awards (NBA Record)

NBA Achievements

(Regular Season; a small sample)

  • One of four players in NBA history to average at least 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists for their career.
  • One of four players in NBA history to score at least 2000 points in a single season for at least nine seasons.
    • Includes Michael Jordan (12 seasons), Karl Malone (11) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (9).
    • One of five players in NBA history to score at least 10 points in 500 consecutive games.
      • Includes Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, and Karl Malone.
      • One of five players in NBA history to win consecutive Finals MVP Awards.
        • Includes Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Kobe Bryant.
        • One of five players in NBA history to win four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards.
          • Includes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, and Wilt Chamberlain.
          • One of six players in NBA history to average at least 27 points for their career.
            • Includes Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and Kevin Durant.
            • One of eight players in NBA history to lead a franchise in points, rebounds, and assists.
              • Includes Kevin Garnett, Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, Gary Payton, Randy Smith (basketball), Isiah Thomas, and Dwyane Wade.
              • One of ten players in NBA history to win 2 NBA Finals MVP Awards.
                • Includes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kobe Bryant, Willis Reed, and Tim Duncan.

                  • Image courtesy of NikeTalk.com

                  As you can see, the list of LeBron’s accomplishments is massive and one that keeps growing with every game that he plays. With time in his hands to accumulate more, James’ credentials will be difficult to match by players to come after him.

                  All-Around Game

                  Jordan played the game with excellence at both ends of the floor, as a scorer, passer, and rebounder, on the offensive end and as a stopper on the defensive end. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were great offensive players in their own right but only average and opportunistic players on defense. Despite Magic and Bird’s superior passing and rebounding skills, Jordan is one of the best, if not the best, passing and rebounding shooting guard in the history of the game.

                  James, however, is a combination of Jordan and Magic/Bird in all-around greatness. Able to score at will, LeBron has long been one of the greatest scorers in the League with a scoring average of 27.4 points per game, good for fourth all-time. As a passer, he is one of the best, surpassing Scottie Pippen for most ever by a forward with 6,301. James also has one of the highest rebounding averages of all-time, and is currently in 17th place in all-time career playoff rebounds with 1,478.

                  For his career, LeBron has always been one of the league leaders in steals, averaging 1.7 a game and is currently in sole possession of 7th place all-time in the postseason. He also occupies 30th place all-time in blocks for the playoffs, just a block behind Jordan. He’s considered the only player in the NBA right now who can guard all five positions on the floor, something that Jordan, Magic, and Bird are not known for as all three can guard three positions at most.

                  Is LeBron the Prophesied Next Great Player After Jordan? LeBron may be a ways off from Jordan’s standards but he is the single most accomplished player that’s closest to the G.O.A.T.’s airspace since Air Jordan last took off from an NBA hardwood floor. Compare his body of work with other current NBA greats and James will be neck and neck in most accomplishments or will even far surpass them. Forget about the perception that James isn’t clutch either because the stats will prove that he is the most clutch NBA player since (who else?) Michael Jordan.

                  This is the reality of the NBA landscape, one which lives in the shadow of a certain number 23 who has made the NBA Finals his home the past five years.

                  Apr 10, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) dribbles the ball in the third quarter against the Boston Celtics at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

                  In the next few days, we will be treated to some of the best basketball ever played on the planet with James and current NBA MVP Stephen Curry battling it out for basketball supremacy in the 2015 NBA Finals. And something tells me that LeBron is about to dominate these coming Finals games more than he ever has. Along the way, expect more records to break and new ones created at the hands of the NBA’s resident King.

                  At the time when Jordan wrote those cryptic words about a player greater than him, he was probably looking further down the line about 20 years after he retired. Little did he know that LeBron Raymone James, a 13-year old Jordan fan with talent, skills, and work ethic to rival that of NBA legends, would come along sooner than he expected. But he did and he came a season after Jordan’s final retirement. It’s as if God rewarded us with a player that is a combination of the best players before him, especially the one immediately preceding him.

                  The next great NBA player, the Chosen One, has come as prophesied by the greatest. It’s only a matter of time now before many will say with confidence and finality that King James has taken his place on the throne once occupied by His Airness.

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