“I play to win, whether during practice or a real game. And I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win.” In the world of basketball, two names have long been synonymous with a competitive fire: Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. While LeBron James has carved his own impressive path, a recent commentary by an NBA legend highlights a fundamental difference that separates legends from mere superstars.

In a recent episode of Byron Scott’s Fast Break podcast, Scott pointed out the similarities between legends like Jordan and Johnson. “Look MJ had a different mindset than any player I’ve ever played against yeah, just like Magic had a different mindset than any player I’ve ever played with, you know what I’m saying? He just wanted to win and he didn’t care how it was done.”

Jordan was the fire when it came to competitiveness. His clutch moments were legendary. Just think back to the ‘Flu Game’ Game 5 of the ’97 NBA Finals. Jordan fought through severe illness to help the Chicago Bulls gain an important victory with 38 points against the Utah Jazz.

Magic Johnson’s mentality was built the same as his willingness to never give up and always see things through. Magic was the greatest point guard of all time and led the way in every way possible in the 1980 NBA Finals. In Game 6, having lost Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Magic came up big as a rookie filling center, scoring 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists to win the Lakers the title.

“You know Magic was like do I got a score 30 or do I get you y’all the ball and we win that way. I mean he literally could average 30 every game. Cause you got to remember, he’s 6-9, 235, 240. Point guards with 5-10, 6 feet, 6-2 at the most, you couldn’t guard him. You put a two-guard on him, it didn’t matter ’cause a two guard 6-4, 6-5, 6-6. You put a small forward this 6-8, 6-9, he couldn’t keep up with him,” said Scott during the podcast.

This came after the guest of the show, Metta Sandiford-Artest was asked to name the player who was tougher to cover between Jordan and Kobe to which the former Bulls player answered: Michael Jordan. But this was only after Ron Artest asked to add LeBron to the mix as well.

There’s no mistaking LeBron James as one of the most dominant players in NBA history. As of 2024, he is the all-time leading scorer, a 4x NBA champion, and a 19x All-Star. But he has been criticized for failing to have the game’s ‘killer mentality’ that Jordan or Magic had.

LeBron’s 2011 NBA Finals performance has long been a blemish on his record. Against the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs, he averaged just 17.8 points, a far cry from his regular season, and looked passive at big moments.

“He just had a different mindset MJ had and Kobe’s was the closest to it. Kobe’s the closest to it. MJ had an I’mma kill you to destroy you on the basketball court. I’mma beat you so bad you don’t want to see me the next time you play that was his mindset. So when you throw LeBron in it but yeah MJ was definitely good,” said Scott during the podcast.

LeBron, while arguably more versatile and physically gifted, has a different approach—more calculated, less fiery. Byron Scott’s insight adds depth to the ongoing debate, underscoring that greatness is as much about mentality as it is about skill. However, this wasn’t the only time Scott had spoken about Jordan.

When Scott revealed other player’s behavior on playing against Jordan

Jordan entered the NBA in 1984 as a young rookie for the Chicago Bulls. But it didn’t take him much longer to prove to others his dominance on the court and his fearful antics. A prime example is when he punched teammate Steve Kerr during a game. Because of such physical altercations and intense playing style, opponents refused to go up against him.

Last month during an episode of Byron Scott’s Fast Break podcast, Scott revealed that many players never dared to go up against His Airness. “I know a lot of guys who played against him, and they wanted to go home, too. Like, ‘Man, I’mma foul him just so you can put me on the bench, so I ain’t got to play.’ I mean, there were some guys that just didn’t want to play with him. They didn’t want to play against him,” said Scott.

However, the former Lakers veteran had a tactic to face the power of Jordan. “They would be like, ‘So how was it guarding Michael Jordan?’ I said, ‘Well, the way I guarded Michael is, I’mma play back. I’m gonna make him shoot jump shots.’ I said, ‘But the other thing is, every time he hit a shot, I was like, ‘Man, good shot, MJ. That’s a hell of a shot, dog. I’m right there,'” added Scott.

In his fourteen years as a player, Scott played nineteen games against Jordan and averaged 12.5 points. In the end, we can say that Jordan’s legacy is one of unparalleled greatness, built on moments of fearlessness and unmatched determination. What do you think about Scott’s tactics? Let us know in the comments.