Is or Will Lebron be the next " Jordan"?

[Jukeman]

Not talkin talent wise but popularity...Will Lebron ever be marketable as Jordan and will his sneakers ever been as popular??? Tonite he is wearing a special made sneaker of his, just like MJ did at the garden back in 95....I personally don't own a pair of his shoes but I do have every pair of Jordans(every number)....Back in the day a pair of jordans was like wearing "gold" on your feet, I remember saving up my lunch money to buy those $200 pair (17's) that came with the suitcase(still have that suitcase LOL) so I'm just curious to know how you guys feel about Lebron

Kobe couldn't do it but his ugly sneakers didn't help LOL, I personally think there will never be another sports figure as popular as Jordan, even if Obama joined the league LOL

[OSUFan_88]

Re: Is or Will Lebron be the next " Jordan"?

Nope.

Jordan's popularity will never, ever be matched, and comparing any player's ability to move merchandise to Jordan is asking for disappointment and failure.

[DC]

Re: Is or Will Lebron be the next " Jordan"?

^ Generationally biased comment. The same way older folks didn't think Dr. J would never get surpassed is the same way that some of YOU feel that Jordan's legacy will never get surpassed.

Because remember, it is how important he is to the NEXT generation which determines his overall popularity

Kids don't even know who the hell Jordan is forreal. 2 years ago I coached a bball camp @ George Mason and I would randomly ask the kids who they looked up to. Hell they weren't even naming Kobe. All I heard was Bron and some D Wades.

So I say it is very possible

And LeBron doesn't really NEED to move merchandise the way Jordan did to be as popular or more popular than him.

But I don't know how we can accurately measure popularity.

[DC]

Re: Is or Will Lebron be the next " Jordan"?

I personally don't own a pair of his shoes but I do have every pair of Jordans(every number)....Back in the day a pair of jordans was like wearing "gold" on your feet, I remember saving up my lunch money to buy those $200 pair (17's) that came with the suitcase(still have that suitcase LOL) so I'm just curious to know how you guys feel about Lebron

1. The basketball shoe game isn't where it was (Credit Jordan calling ti quits from the NBA)

2. YOu GREW UP as a Jordan fan, thats why you had all of his shoes, as most of us. If you GREW UP with LeBron it would be a different story and your answer would be different

I am not saying Bron WILL be more popular but I don't think it is fair to just write it off as if it is impossible. There will ALWAYS come along someone better

[Cebby]

Re: Is or Will Lebron be the next " Jordan"?

Maybe.

Whoever the big player after Lebron definitely can. It really depends on when Lebron peaks and for how long. If it's in the next 2-3 years, then he won't.

However, if he wins championships in the mid 2010s (say, 2012-2017), then he definitely will.

20 year old were 10 when Jordan retired. By 2018, no one under 30 will have actually watched Jordan seriously.

[DC]

Re: Is or Will Lebron be the next " Jordan"?

Right once everyone from the Jordan era is dead, they will then determine who the "best of all time" is

[Bornindamecca]

Re: Is or Will Lebron be the next " Jordan"?

I generally agree with what you're saying, DC. There is a generational bias going on, and history tells us that eventually someone will come along and raise the bar again.

What should we look for in Next Jordan(NJ)?

-He has to be head and shoulders better than his peers
-He has to be a cultural phenomenon
-He has to change the definition of the basketball athlete in some regard
-He has to inspire a new generation to copy his game
-He has to further marketing for basketball players and/or athletes in some way
-He has to win...a lot


For me, the closest thing to the next Jordan culturally has been Allen Iverson. His jersey was the most popular for years, he was copied not just by fans, but by other players and he changed several things about basketball.

From a basketball "awe" standpoint, Kobe Bryant(sigh...here we go) was closer to Jordan on the international level this summer. He was the only player the Chinese were as interested in as Yao Ming, as reported during the Olympics.

To be fair to Lebron, he's only been in the league long enough to have two memorable playoff moments, and neither of them ended in a championship. He'll certainly have his chances, but unlike Jordan, Lebron is at the beginning of a new golden era of basketball talent, rather than the end of one.

[DC]

Re: Is or Will Lebron be the next " Jordan"?

It is funny that you mention Iverson because I was gonna mention Garnett. Both of them have changed the face of the game. Iverson allowed the undersized SG's to flourish and KG promoted Big Man Versatility. But neither are heads and shoulders better than their peers. They are up there but not head and shoulders above (Like Kobe, Shaq were at points in their careers)

Lets break down what you brought up


LeBron
-He has to be head and shoulders better than his peers - Will happen. Kinda sorta happening now

-He has to be a cultural phenomenon - Basketballs popularity in the US seems iffy. Maybe globally he is popular but I don't know if he is a cultural phenom.

-He has to change the definition of the basketball athlete in some regard - That big and that fast and that strong and that bounce. Check!

-He has to inspire a new generation to copy his game - We have to see if that will happen. I think the game was already changing in terms of bigger buys being more versatile so I won't credit HIM for it. But we will see if people copy him

-He has to further marketing for basketball players and/or athletes in some way - We will see

-He has to win...a lot - We will see. I just find it hard for anyone in the near future to win like Mike

[Jukeman]

Re: Is or Will Lebron be the next " Jordan"?

Good stuff, I'm not trying to put down lebron or anything I just never heard this debate before, it was always about talent....

But yes DC I was a Jordan fan but I don't think me growing up in his era have to much to do with buying his products or wat not, my all time favorite athlete is Walter Payton and I only watched him on tape...I have his jersey framed, Pure Payton is something I've watched every morning before I went to school...if he had sneakers I would surely collect those....If the youth don't know who Jordan is than something is wrong there....I have a 7 year old cousin who knows who Michael Jackson is and I don't think he put out a song in more than 5 years....

[DC]

Re: Is or Will Lebron be the next " Jordan"?

But yes DC I was a Jordan fan but I don't think me growing up in his era have to much to do with buying his products or wat not, my all time favorite athlete is Walter Payton and I only watched him on tape...I have his jersey framed, Pure Payton is something I've watched every morning before I went to school...if he had sneakers I would surely collect those....If the youth don't know who Jordan is than something is wrong there....I have a 7 year old cousin who knows who Michael Jackson is and I don't think he put out a song in more than 5 years....

I don't understand how you can make that statement but ok

Why is it something wrong that a generation doesn't know about the generation BEFORE it? Again you are displaying generational bias

[Bornindamecca]

Re: Is or Will Lebron be the next " Jordan"?

Iverson isn't head and shoulders better than his peers, but we can say to date that we'd never seen anyone at that size be that powerful and dynamic of a scoring weapon in the history of the game. At barely six feet tall, he reinvented the little man.

Garnett's success was hampered by the thick competition at PF in his generation, and his lack of significant wins until long after his initial impact.

I don't see Lebron as getting heads and shoulders above anyone in the league. He's an exciting player putting up great numbers, but he has a way to go before I could have a serious conversation about him being better than Tim, Shaq or Kobe in their prime(Kobe is still in his prime, but you know what I'm sayin')

With the upcoming talent--CP3, Wade(who is really getting the shaft in these discussions), Howard, Williams, Durant(yeah, I'm stickin' to my guns on him) and even more youngins, Lebron has PLENTY of competition in the coming years, and he hasn't even won yet. Case in point, it'll be hard to beat Boston or LA over the next two years, and in 2010 you could have Wade and Bosh go to the same team, which would put a real cramp in his legacy.

He may go down as the best single player in a generation of great talent, but I seriously doubt he will separate himself from the pack the way Jordan did.


When I said redefine a basketball player, I was speaking more in terms of culturally. Jordan became an event. Right now Lebron is doesn't have a bigger cultural impact than Kobe or Yao Ming. In fact, if Kobe wins another ring, the story of his rise, fall and rise again will eclipse Lebron for a while longer yet. Just think about last year when it looked like he might get a ring and a gold medal. The hype machine was kicking LBJ to the curb. Same thing after the gold medal game. Lebron's dominance throughout the rest of the tournament was quickly forgotten in favor of Kobe's quotes, gestures and heroics.

Just saying, Jordan's hype was never so threatened. Lebron may get there, but he's not even close right now. Not even closest.

[Cebby]

Re: Is or Will Lebron be the next " Jordan"?

If the youth don't know who Jordan is than something is wrong there....

The youth "know" who Jordan is, but much like every other generation, you can't really feel attached to the player. Sure, you can pay him lip service and "respect" him, but you can't fully embrace it. It's one thing to watch a game on TV and appreciate it, but you still didn't see it live, so you can't feel connected to it.

The youth should know who Jordan is, but they shouldn't really care beyond that.

[DC]

Re: Is or Will Lebron be the next " Jordan"?

I don't see Lebron as getting heads and shoulders above anyone in the league. He's an exciting player putting up great numbers, but he has a way to go before I could have a serious conversation about him being better than Tim, Shaq or Kobe in their prime(Kobe is still in his prime, but you know what I'm sayin')

Yea but you know the NBA is Media Driven. They are on Bron's nuts and have been screaming him being the best in the NBA for a while now. So it honestly doesn't matter what you think. I am not saying your opinion doesn't matter, but I am saying that the world WILL (or probably does) think he is head and shoulders above his peers

[DC]

Re: Is or Will Lebron be the next " Jordan"?

When I said redefine a basketball player, I was speaking more in terms of culturally. Jordan became an event. Right now Lebron is doesn't have a bigger cultural impact than Kobe or Yao Ming. In fact, if Kobe wins another ring, the story of his rise, fall and rise again will eclipse Lebron for a while longer yet. Just think about last year when it looked like he might get a ring and a gold medal. The hype machine was kicking LBJ to the curb. Same thing after the gold medal game. Lebron's dominance throughout the rest of the tournament was quickly forgotten in favor of Kobe's quotes, gestures and heroics.

That was well said man. Damn

[Bornindamecca]

Re: Is or Will Lebron be the next " Jordan"?

Yea but you know the NBA is Media Driven. They are on Bron's nuts and have been screaming him being the best in the NBA for a while now. So it honestly doesn't matter what you think. I am not saying your opinion doesn't matter, but I am saying that the world WILL (or probably does) think he is head and shoulders above his peers

The thing is, dominance is not created by hype in the NBA. It's created by rings. If you want to talk about dominance, we can only talk about Kobe, Tim and Shaq, who are --surprise surprise-- the only guys who get the hands down "best" moniker in this generation.

How dominant are they? In the past decade, one of those three players was in the Finals every year except once(Mavs year). And they own all of the Western Conference rings in that time span.

That is being head and shoulders above your peers, and I've never seen the media turn away from winning to hype a player who isn't winning. Not over a prolonged period of time.