Last season, the Los Angeles Lakers struggled through the first half of their schedule with an unbalanced and incomplete roster. But thanks to multiple trades during the season, they re-emerged as title contenders later in the year.
Even with an injured right foot and less than 100% recovery, LeBron James was still able to lead his team into the playoffs. He did this despite the fact that the Lakers had only a 0.3% chance of making the playoffs early in the season, according to statistics nerds.
Once there, they made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals before their magic carpet ride ended when they were swept by the eventual NBA champion Denver Nuggets.
Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin, who’s often been fond of making hot takes as a commentator lately, claimed that James did things in March, April and May that Michael Jordan couldn’t do (h/t The Cold Wire).
“What LeBron did last year, Michael Jordan couldn’t do it, period. He couldn’t take a team that came late, bring them together and lead this team … to go on a run like this (to the Western Conference Finals) ).”
– Michael Owen from @Undisputed pic.twitter.com/hQCL25AVUq
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) August 29, 2023
It’s important to point out that in Jordan’s entire career, he has never been in a situation where a team was completely revamped in the middle of the season like the 2022-23 Lakers. His Chicago Bulls were very consistent throughout the 1990s, when he led them to six world championships.
How he would handle the situation is anyone’s guess.
But it’s the latest manifestation in the debate over whether James is the greatest player of all time, a debate that may never be resolved.
Story originally appeared on LeBron Wire