Michael Jordan‘s fame in the 90s knew no bounds. Charismatic and media savvy, His Airness had an unrivaled level of stardom. He mesmerized an entire generation of players to emulate and surpass his glory. Many players at the time, like Grant Hill, Vince Carter, and Kobe Bryant were all dubbed the next Michael Jordan. But no other player drew heavier inspiration from Black Jesus than ‘Baby Jordan’. Mirroring similar traits to MJ, the Inglewood native idolized the Chicago Bulls legend, even donning the 23 during his time with USC.

Drafted into the league by the Miami Heat in 1992, the prodigy was one of the first players to be likened to MJ as he eventually succumbed to those expectations.

‘Baby Jordan’ edged past Shaquille O’Neal but succumbed to his idol

Harold Miner was an exciting high school prospect when he was given the title of ‘Baby Jordan’. Named so due to his spectacular dunking prowess, the 6’5 guard did achieve major success during his collegiate days. Edging past Shaquille O’Neal while suiting up for USC, Miner was named Player of the Year as he averaged 26 points per game.

A gifted athlete, Harold had quite the jump and could be found above the rim in most instances. Flying through the air while rocking the 23, his bald look and tongue-sticking-out demeanor only heightened the comparisons.

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Miner soon latched onto the ‘Baby Jordan’ persona, even signing with Nike after his draft. While Harold had a sub-par first season, the hype surrounding him died down when the Chicago Bulls faced the Miami Heat in December 1992. Michael Jordan torched his alleged successor as he dropped 39 points, taking home the win with a score of 105-100.

While being compared to a generational talent is a huge compliment, the expectations it brings can sometimes be unfair. This was best explained by George Raveling, who was Harold’s coach at USC. Speaking about the unfair comparisons, he stated. “I always felt the worst thing to happen to Harold was the “Baby Jordan” tag.”?

These unreal expectations cut short what could have been a decorated career as Miner dropped out of the league within 4 seasons. Scoring a cumulative total of 1,801 points in 200 games, the former Miami man averaged only 9 points per game. Only one of six individuals to win the Dunk Contest twice, could the story have gone differently if ‘Baby Jordan’ was simply Harold?

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