Wednesday, August 15th, 2012 at 10:05 am  |  366 responses

Jim Boeheim Thinks LeBron James Could be Better Than Michael Jordan


Syracuse University head coach Jim Boeheim, who has been a longtime assistant for USA Basketball, has observed an endless amount of talent during his career. And according to the uber-experienced coach, Michael Jordan always was the best player he’d ever seen play, by a mile. Well, that was until the 2012 version of LeBron James arrived. Via Syracuse.com: “‘I’ve always thought Michael Jordan was the best player that I’ve ever seen,’ Boeheim said. ‘I always have and I didn’t think it was close. I’m not so sure any more. And I love Michael Jordan. I’m not so sure anymore. This guy is 6-foot-9 and 260 pounds, and he’s getting better. He works on his game. His shooting is getting better. He’s a phenomenal, phenomenal basketball player. I love this game; I love the history of this game. I know we’ve had great, great players through the years. He’s like Magic Johnson with Michael Jordan-type skills as well.’”

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  • http://vandelay-industries.org Art Vandelay

    if they dont put it into the game just wait for the first edit patches

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    lol, shut up Huey.
    The Nupe did send one out as me(i’m assuming it was him) at 6:03 though.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    If I can get the 08 team that’d be dope, their like our bobcats

  • http://nba.com GP23

    No way will the 04 team be in. Lol.

  • Cool Dude

    Until Lebron does something crazy like average 32-8-8 on 50+%, he will never be better than Jordan.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    04 is what I meant

  • justin

    Jim Boeheim also thought Bernie Fine was just a nice guy to the kids..

  • KO8E

    Kobe and jordan have the same skills and same style. If look at kobe and jordan they have the jumpshot and spin move and foot work and compare jordan to lebron they don’t have the style. when kobe one his first ring which he was younger than lebron and no one compared kobe to jordan but lebron wins one ring and know he’s better than jordan.WTF

  • lbj

    lal had a very bad deal! we all know that howard will not sign an extension to anyone. After his contract expired he will go to Miami in echange to haslem,anthony and future round picks. He wants to get a ring so he will play with the king “LeBron”

    PG: Wade
    SG: Allen
    SF: James
    PF: Bosh
    C: Howard

    6th man: Battier
    Strong Reserve: Chalmers,Cole,Miller,Lewis and Juwan Howard.

    back to back championship

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    ^Straight Knowledge Drop^ WTF

  • LeBrOn 4 MvP!

    Yo yO Ya gRiLL my feelings yall? its about to go down yo. lebron COULD be better than mJ Ya FEEl ME? but he aint there yet yo, he got lota work to do before he GeT thErE Real talk, buT hiS tSAlEnT and raw athletic ability gives him the potenTial tO bE one ya. Mj still the greatest. miami stand up! area code 127 till i die

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    Lol

  • http://slamonline.com The Philosopher

    So, why has this thread continued after Allenp exposed the masses with the Miller/Bosh question?
    This is why he is The Professor…

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    Looks like 2K continues to pull wool over everyone’s eyes. They have y’all all giddy over another addition that does nothing to improve the gameplay.

  • robb

    Nobody will be better than black jesus. Lebron’s a more complete player though.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    So Kobe copies how Jordan walks, talks, chews his gum, and shoots and that makes him like Jordan? LeBron has to copy him too to be in the discussion? That makes a lot of sense. By that logic, anyone who wants to be compared to Jordan should copy him. Cool. No one compared Kobe to Jordan after his first ring because he only averaged 21 points in his first Finals and he was playing with a guy named Shaq.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    Taylor, naw that’s jus what they announced today. They have changed a lot but you can’t expect them to rebuild the whole game. It’s not like it gets more than 8 months of work before its released

  • KO8E

    And who was lebron james was playing with wade and bosh so yeah. I don’t why people say was by himself in cleveland and didn’t cleveland have the best record in the nba for to straight seasons and lebron had shaq and mo williams and west and antawn jamison and had all those good players and wasn’t able to win a ring. then he joins with wade and bosh because they couldn’t do themself. I’m not saying that their only player but to lead their to the championship, like jordan had help but was the one leading the team telling them what to do and kobe telling pau and bynum what to do.

  • http://www.slamonline.com AT

    I can’t say whos the better player right now between mj n lbj but the better question is who would win in a one on one match?!

  • http://www.slamonline.com AT

    Yea about what i said before, ihav made a list from my perspective tell me what u think.You know what lets make this jus best wing players of all time for now.

    UPDATED LIST OF GREATEST WING PLAYERS IN NBA OF ALL-TIME:1980s-current

    1.sighs MJ
    2.Kobe Bryant
    3.LBJ
    4.Magic Johnson
    5.Kevin Durant or Larry Bird
    6.Allen Iverson
    7.Isiah Thomas
    8.Jason Kidd
    9.Vince Carter or T-Mac

    Edit if you want!!!

  • http://slamonline.com Krishan

    Eboy: ” being a stand up dude in the wake of incredible strife. ” Incredible strife=criticisms on a billionaire basketball player LOL. GTFOH and jump into a pit of fire with the stupid s#it. Incredible strife lol.

  • ctk

    @AT ..Thomas/Magic/Kidd r not wing players …so u got to add on to your list

  • http://www.newyorkshockexchange.com/content/view/424/37/ Shock Exchange

    The greatest “hype men” in history. Feel free to add to the list.

    1. Horry Jr (Shaq, Pau Gasol / Andrew Bynum at the same ____ time)
    2. Flavor Flav (Public Enemy)
    3. ODB (Wu-Tang)
    4. Crunchy Black (Three 6 Mafia)
    5. Spliff Star (Busta)

  • http://www.slamonline.com Redd

    KD and Lebron over Kobe.

  • feez_22

    You guys hear what coach K had 2 say about lebron? i’m sure slam will put up an article tomorrow about it but man… coach K was giving lebron so much praises… http://www.jimrome.com/junglehighlights?uri=channels/465575/1691506

  • http://www.slamonline.com AT

    @ctk ..I meant more of backcourt players.

  • http://slam flight9

    I hate Lebron u all know it. He might be better than MJ in stats overall and what you can do in the court! BUT, MJ won everything with some help of course from some players pippen, rodman, harper, coach Phil…. SO, it is still JORDan OVER LBJ PERIOD!!!! I don’t care if he wins 8 champioship!!!!!!! JORDAN IS STILL THE GOAT OF ALL GOATS DAMN IT!!!!!!!!!!!1 6-0 IN FINALS WHEN IT COUNTS!!!!!

  • Mack

    I think when people talk about all time basketball players and comparing people to Jordan, Kobe SHOULD be the number one on that category, with D-Wade coming a close second and a plethora of other guys right behind. But in my opinion LeBron is in a class of his own in my opinion. He’s got the size and skills to play all five positions effectively, and with that the court vision to run a team and make on the fly decisions better than anyone else in the league. Also, let’s not forget he’s also the best all-around defender in the NBA today and not just because he can chase people down. To me LeBron is Magic Johnson 2.0 and Magic is a top 5 all-time player. So while I personally don’t think LeBron will EVER exceed what Michael Jordan did on and off the court, he’s going to go down as at LEAST a top 10 player ever if he already isn’t. LeBron’s ceiling for success is way to high to count out anything, though.

  • Mack

    @AT you left out Julius Erving, John Havlicek, David Thompson? VC is not top 10, maybe T-Mac and Iverson. J-Kidd also isn’t top 10 over the Doctor or Hondo I’m sorry.

  • robb

    @AT prime McGrady>>>prime Vince

  • Lakeshow

    6-0 IN THE FINALS
    6 TIME FINALS MVP
    2 TIMES 3 PEAT.

    HOUSTON ROCKETS SHOULD BE THANKFUL HE RETIRED OR ELSE NO RINGS FOR THEM AT ALL!

    THAT IS ALL

  • KO8E

    lebron is like magic and Kobe like Jordan

  • Conor

    I agree with everything LakeShow wrote.

  • IamYOU

    He’s goin to be better that’s fo sure. I predict 7 more rings on lebrons hands on the next 7 seasons! so that’s 8 in total! yeah saw it right! 8 Championships on Lebron! 8 CHIPS!

  • http://www.twitter.com/_dfrance dfrance

    Jordan has just reached a status in the eyes of many where he will NEVER be replaced. If Lebron would have one titles in Clevelnad with no help putting up his usual stats, Jordan fans would find a way to discredit him. This isn’t the 90s, league is less talented, etc… Fact is, its a valid debate, dude has a rare skillset never quite seen before of someone his size. Set titles aside and just talking about their skills as players, its a valid argument. I don’t think winning championships should matter in comparisons of individual players.

  • pposse

    the big difference with lebron and MJ is the fact that MJ scored the ball better and more. How many times did Lebron even get 50 pts in a singular game? Jordan in the 80′s would drop 50 on 15-17 shots and do it on a regular basis. The fact is, most fans, analysts, critics all value a scorer more than an all around game. Until Lebron shows us the ability to put up 60 points in a single game, or have more than 20 50 point games in his career the comparisons should stop. Everything else Lebron is set out to do MJ has already done. Jordan has all the accolades plus like 30 + 50 point games and like 6 games where he dropped 60 or more in a game. The Lebron i have seen thruout the years is not capable of this, until he shows us these abilities, how in the world can a one time champion be even mentioned in the same breath as the great one?!

  • Lakeshow

    @pposse

    AMEN!

  • http://gmail.com z

    Keep in mind that there was plenty of expansion going on in the 90s which created a void of “superteams” along the lines of showtime or the Celtic team of the 80s. This (to me) puts a lil less value on $’s rings and is something all you jordan worshippers should keep in mind. If ewing coulda had a better #2 than friggin starksie (2 for 18) than mj probly doesnt win in 93 or 92. Bottom line: mj wasnt as dominant as some of the kobe haters play him up to be in a pathetic effort to knock kobe (who’s not as great or dominant as mj but thats strictly bc its a more competitive era mixed with some mental issues of kobe’s). Bron could one day be the goat but will the masses open their eyes to it if so? Considering how willfully ignorant alot of yall have been over the years about kob i gotta say probly not. Theres just too much money to be made off mj’s brand and so those with a voice will continue the narrative that says mj is the goat (unless bron transforms into a commercial powerhouse, which kobe never did

  • http://www.nba.com/knicks danpowers

    @z: i agree partially with you. especially as a knicks fanatic on that ewing arguement (id rather had a better 3 than smith that b*m lol). but the thing is, if the league wouldve had a higher concentration of talent, that wouldve automatically meant that there wouldve been also more talent on the bulls so we dont know what wouldve happened if the expansion teams wouldve came after mj retired. even now the 30 team league doesnt seem to make sense if you look at the bobcats, it wouldnt even increase the talent level league wide if these guys would be spread among the other 29 nba teams

  • http://www.slamonline.com AT

    @Mack true dat

  • http://gmail.com z

    Just gonna take a guess at some of yalls ages based off your opinions: nbk is 35. Allenp is 33 lakeshow is in his 40s danpowers is in his 40s. Jtaylor is 21 pposse and redd are 15 max. La huey is 25 so is dfrance. What we need are old timers so we can have a voice of reason regarding walton kareem wilt doc etc

  • http://www.nba.com/knicks danpowers

    i am 30 mate

  • http://www.nba.com/knicks danpowers

    as a 40 yr old i wouldve put up african bambaataa lol

  • http://www.nba.com/knicks danpowers

    oh, i thought this here would be that iggy / rap thread, just got the wrong tab

  • pposse

    28 Z,your over here preaching about some conspiracy nonsense and there is too much money to be made off the Jordan brand being the reason why MJ is still relevant… and how old are you again? If you are in your late 20′s or 30′s then you tell me, who should have been the MVP every year from 1988 – 1999. Cause MJ got 5 of those. You think he deserved less? More? Or does 5 sound right to you. He wasn’t dominant? WTF is you on, you sound like a sour Knicks fan. I would be too, yall won one ring in the the last 40 years. Lebron been climbing the mountain and has been climbing. He stepped foot on a plateau this past summer with the ring, but there is a far far far climb to the peak before he sits on top as the King of the hill. I’m sure Kareem and Wilt would say they were better than MJ, and Walton was notorious for hating on MJ as a broadcaster during games, but at the end he would always give props and say MJ is the greatest.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Why would an old-timer come comment on this website? This really wouldn’t be the place they would end up.

  • jerico

    i’m postive someone will take the mantle of goat from michael, mj is like what babe ruth is to baseball and what muhammad ali is to boxing what wayne gretzky is to hockey, yes there will be a kat who comes along with the talent and drive to become the goat theres no question its just that these guys for there sport no matter 100 years from now will be remembered as the game’s defining icon that changed there respective sports and the standard to which all will be judged by even if someone greater comes along as with baseball there are greater players than Babe Ruth yet we all know his name even if we dont give 2 cents about baseball the same shall be true of MJ its just no one has yet to take his throne as GOAT but it will happen but who knows when….

  • http://www.nba.com/knicks danpowers

    i am a sour knicks fan and i hated him and any bulls bandwagon fan back then. it would just be stupid to say that he wasnt the greatest of all time especially when you saw the defense we threw at him and he still scored 50 on us. sometimes losing to the bulls was just bad luck (e.g. smith tht “§$%$§$%&/ getting blocked 3 or 4 straight times by moving exact the same move -.- ) but mainly the reason was simply jordan. he just was and will most likely stay the greatest of all time since mankind will play basketball

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    i’m 35? because I said Jordan was still the best player ever? Or because I said LeBron has a chance but likely won’t catch him? Hold on, Z said the exact same thing? Or wait, Z is dumb enough to think that Jordan’s brand is the reason people call him the Goat? Ok then.

  • http://www.kb24.com The Seed

    Cosign @Robert Posted: Aug.15 at 5:33 pm
    @byanymeansnecessary: you are fu***** crazy for saying Dwight will be the best player on that laker team next year. And stop slighting Kobe for having good teammates for most of his career. DWade is a sure fire hall of famer and bosh is a perennial all star. Their system do not need a dominant big men since they play small ball like the thunder. So it’s all about systems that are put in place, so I don’t see any reason why Kobe’s rings should be the only one to have an asterisk next to them. Lastly, I bet anyone here that mj’s teams in 90s except probably the ’91 and ’96 will lose to the celtics of the late 2000s and the spurs of early to mid 2000s. Teams are more loaded now than they were during the 90s. Lebron knew that that’s why he bolted to Miami and the lakers just reloaded themselves too. Bottom line: Mike’s rings are not better than Kobe’s or lebron because he played with mostly role players. Teams today are better today than they were back then.

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