Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James. AP FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — When you’ve faced the absolute greatest in his best, you can’t help to wonder that no one would be in comparison.
As Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon hears comparisons of Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James to fellow Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, he is having none of it.
“When people start comparing him (James) with Jordan then that’s not a fair comparison,” Olajuwon told CNBC’s Worldwide Exchange.
Olajuwon led the Houston Rockets to the NBA title in 1994 and 1995, the two-year hiatus of Jordan from the NBA, and practically denying the competition of the much coveted Larry O’ Brien trophy, just as much Jordan did.
“Jordan was a far more superior player in a very tough league, he was very creative.”
It was the Chicago Bulls who were the absolute force of the 90s, winning six championships, but Olajuwon and his Rockets filled in the void when Jordan was swinging a baseball bat with the Birmingham Barons.
James, who is in his second stint with the Cavs after a successful run with the Miami Heat, is seen as this generation’s best player, but the older guys of the NBA always put Jordan in a different class than the four-time MVP and two-time champion.
Jordan, though, has five MVP’s and six NBA titles. Not to mention the lore that he still has even more than a decade after he hung his Air Jordans.
“That’s not taking away anything from LeBron because he is a great player, but it is not a fair comparison because Jordan is a far superior player.”
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