“Michael Jordan Was Under a Microscope”: Overlooking LeBron James’ Character in Keeping Scandals at Bay, Veteran Analyst Blatantly Defends Bulls Legend

It’s no exaggeration that Michael Jordan single handedly took the league to the global stage in the 90s. MJ’s six championship run with the Chicago Bulls fetched him the popularity across the borders. On the other hand, he faced several setbacks as well during his active days in the NBA. However, decades after his retirement, a veteran NBA analyst defends MJ with a massive claim, overlooking his scandals in a GOAT debate against LeBron James.

King James is one of the biggest superstars among the active NBA players. Notably, he became the only active NBA star and second player after MJ to become a billionaire. Naturally, fans and experts engaged in comparing both superstars in the ‘Greatest ever’ debate. Despite countless analogies with stats and figures, the debate remains unsolved. Amid this confusion, veteran NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith dropped a massive claim in a recent show.

Stephen A. Smith makes a massive claim in LeBron James-MJ debate

It’s a well-known fact that ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith has been an ardent supporter of Michael Jordan when it comes to GOAT debate. He has almost always sided with MJ on the GOAT debate against LeBron James. This time around, he did the same thing, but he also dropped a massive claim.

Featuring alongside his new partner, Shannon Sharpe in the latest episode of First Take, A. Smith defended MJ. He added, “Michael Jordan was under a microscope… Even though LeBron is clearly the biggest star, there are a plethora of stars in the NBA.” He argued that during MJ’s era, he was the only star and he even claimed Air Jordan took NBA to next level.

Furthermore, A. Smith continued to defend MJ, ignoring all the controversies in his career. Sharpe, in his defense said, “They don’t give LeBron James the benefit of the doubt that they’ve given other great players.”

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Despite Jordan’s greatness on the court, he also faced several controversies during his career.

Michael Jordan’s controversies

Michael Jordan’s popularity always attracted a swarm of reporters around whenever he headed. On the other hand, MJ has always maintained a good guy image in the NBA world. However, the media often tried to knock it down. They often wrote about MJ’s gambling addiction, the legend’s decision to retire three times during his career. His Airness himself widely spoke about it in the 2020 docuseries, The Last Dance. 

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What do you make of Stephen A. Smith’s take on MJ? Let us know in the comments below.