The Daily Think

Michael Jordan and Lebron James are forever linked as (arguably) the 2 best basketball players of the past 40 years. They both did it their way and are also a reflection of their time and place in history. Michael Jordan played in the 80’s and 90’s and was responsible for keeping the league afloat after Larry Bird and Magic Johnson elevated the game with their amazing rivalry. Lebron James came into our world in the early 2000’s and has not left the public eye for nearly 2 decades. Jordan or Lebron, the argument is based on titles, stats, and influence on the league. Championships go to Jordan, stats go to Lebron who may achieve a 40,000 pt career, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists career by the time it’s all done. But Gilbert Arenas, former Washington Wizard and Golden State Warrior and Arizona Wildcat may have just sealed the debate with one statement:

“Bron, I’m sorry, my guy, but I have to do it; Jordan is back the GOAT. This is why – you gotta be the GOAT if you ran cocaine out of the 80s. You was running circles around them that in the 90s that had to clean their sh*t up,” Arenas stated on “Gil’s Arena.”

There it is, one statement that simply says so much about saving the game of basketball that needed to be saved from itself. In order to understand the impact of Michael Jordan’s strong “say no to drugs” lifestyle during his career is not revolutionary, but to do it in the 1980’s when the league was on the verge of creating a wave of high paid professional basketball players with generational wealth and freedom to live life to the fullest.

DARK DAYS OF THE NBA

To review the 1970’s and 1980’s look at a small list of troubled NBA players:

David Thompson – Thompson was a star player for the Denver Nuggets in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He struggled with cocaine addiction and was arrested in 1983 for possession of the drug.

John Lucas – Lucas played for several NBA teams in the 1970s and 1980s, including the Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, and Washington Bullets. He battled cocaine addiction throughout his career and was suspended by the league in 1986 for drug use.

Micheal Ray Richardson – Richardson was a talented player for the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He struggled with cocaine addiction and was suspended by the NBA multiple times for drug use.

Darryl Dawkins – Dawkins was a popular player for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1970s and 1980s. He was arrested for cocaine possession in 1983 but avoided jail time by entering a drug treatment program.

Spencer Haywood was a talented basketball player who played for several teams in the NBA during the 1970s and 1980s, including the Los Angeles Lakers. Haywood was a key player for the Lakers during the 1980-81 season, but he also struggled with drug addiction at the time.

Len Bias – Bias was a highly touted prospect who was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1986. He died from a cocaine overdose just two days after being drafted, which had a significant impact on the NBA and the fight against drug abuse in sports.

THE SAVIOR HAS ARRIVED

During his time with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan was a vocal opponent of drug use and worked to ensure that his teammates were drug-free. He believed that drug use could undermine the team’s performance and was committed to maintaining a positive team culture.

Jordan’s stance on drugs was reflected in the team’s policies, which included regular drug testing and a zero-tolerance policy for drug use. Jordan was also involved in drug education programs for young athletes, using his platform to raise awareness about the dangers of drug use and the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Jordan’s commitment to a drug-free environment was not without controversy, however. Some players and critics accused him of being too controlling and rigid in his approach, and there were concerns that his focus on drug testing and prevention may have created an atmosphere of fear and mistrust.

Despite these criticisms, Jordan’s dedication to maintaining a drug-free environment helped to create a culture of discipline and professionalism that contributed to the success of the Bulls during their championship years. His leadership and commitment to his teammates’ well-being served as an inspiration to many young athletes and helped to raise awareness about the importance of staying drug-free in sports.

DEBATE DECIDED: MJ

So stats and championships and games played and Space Jam box office numbers put aside, there is one unique fact about both players: Michael Jordan stopped the flow of cocaine into the NBA and demanded excellence from himself and his teammates. This in turn demanded his opponents raise their own game, live up to standards that Jordan similarly set in order to compete with him. And it kept league from having another tragedy like Len Bias. Lebron on the other hand outside of the numbers and rings, brought about the player empowerment era that has been great for the players, but bad for the teams. You have to believe the player that could force the league to change for the positive should be considered the GOAT while the player who split the fans from the teams and showed a lack of loyalty to the teams that drafted them helps settle the debate for once, and for good. MJ EVERDAY!