You're Not the Next Michael Jordan, Why Does Everyone Else Have to Be?

by user I am a cpcp

Vince Carter is the next Michael Jordan.

Kobe Bryant is the next Michael Jordan.

LeBron James is the next Michael Jordan.

Vince Carter has not turned out to be the next Michael Jordan, so he is a failure.

Kobe Bryant has not turned out to be the next Michael Jordan, so he is a failure.

LeBron James has not yet become the next Michael Jordan. Is he a failure?

I am so sick and tired of NBA fan's need to compare every single player to someone before them. Every NBA draft, every rookie has a big fat lable put on them telling him who's shoe's they have to fill.

Is Adam Morrison is the next Larry Bird?

Will (whatever the Raptor's guy's name is) be the next Darko?

Why can't NBA players be themself?

I realize that NBA rosters are half the size of other professional sports and therefore it's easy to learn more about how each player works and is therefore easier to compare players. But that doesn't mean that this sickness forcing everyone to look for the next someone in every player to come along needs to continue.

What's the fun in watching a league when you're trying to recontruct the past from the present and future?

The discussion that brought this up is who will be the Pippen to Bron-Bron's Jordan? Why does LBJ have to be Michael? Why does he need a Scottie? Why does Anderson Varejao have to be Dennis Rodman. Does this mean Big Z needs to start speaking with a Luc Longley Austrailian accent and Eric Snow needs to work on getting more of a baby face? Who's going to play the part of Steve Kerr

I loved the Chicago Bulls in the 90s. They were my team as a kid. But that doesn't mean that now that I'm a Cavs fan I want to see the same team all over again. I want to see these new kids (and yes, it hurts that a handful of them are younger than me) develop their own game.

I just think the game would be much easier to enjoy if NBA fans would get to know the player for who they are and not who the fans think they should become.

Date

Sat 07/08/06, 8:36 pm EST

I am a cpcpMajor Leaguer

1093 days ago

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If an admin reads this, can you change the title to "You're not the next..." (add the not) I screwed up... :-(

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Anonymous Fanatic #1

986 days ago

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Any logged in user can change the page title by using the "move" link on the left.

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Anonymous Fanatic #2

1093 days ago

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AMEN

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BigPPupMajor Leaguer

1093 days ago

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Very well said, there is nothing wrong with becoming the first Lebron James, or the Dwayne Wade rather than being the next Jordan. The NBA needs to learn that and stop force feeding us mush.

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UfgatorsDiv-I Stud

1093 days ago

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I agree with your article, with the exception being Scottie Pippen. Lebron needs a "Scottie Pippen-like" player to help him win the title. Although, the new name for a sidekick is Shaq, as stated in EVERY MBA ARTICLE ON ESPN.COM

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UfgatorsDiv-I Stud

1093 days ago

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excuse me, NBA not "MBA"

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I am a cpcpMajor Leaguer

1093 days ago

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That's ok, I like reading about higher-education in business on ESPN :-)

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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer

1092 days ago

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you're the next Sports Guy, ummm... wait...

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XtinctWaterboy

1092 days ago

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I don't know if it's NBA fans labelling players as the next Michael Jordan as it is the media. The media has been searching for that 'golden child' since Jordan left.

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XtinctWaterboy

1092 days ago

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Also, I think the reason the experts and media do the comparison is because the NBA probably (in my opinion) has the largest casual fan base in American sports. By using comparisons, it gives those bandwagon fans a point of reference so they don't have to actually pay attention to the sport.

And if you disagree with the 'bandwagon fans' statement, consider this: how often have you heard someone say they were a fan when Jordan was playing? That's a bandwagon fan, a casual fan. No jibe intended here but how many 90's bulls fans are now Cavs fans?

I agree players should be allowed to be themselves.

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Basketball110Soccer Kid

191 days ago

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The Raptor guy is Andrea Bargnani. He was being compared to Dirk early on.

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