James Left Behind: Basketball Superstar Left in the Shadows
Three years ago, every news outlet ran some sort of LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan content. The competition between the two was undeniable; one from the 1992 Dream Team, one who is living the dream. Both players were the epitome of basketball elite at some point in their careers.
However, news outlets in 2016, have pushed LeBron into the background to make room for a bigger name: the Golden State Warriors. With this transition from a “LeBron vs. Jordan”-centric basketball universe to one where new superstars and undefeated streaks are all the rage, LeBron James has fallen through the cracks.
Not only have the Warriors taken up a significant amount of media on their own, but they are also being stacked up against the 1995-1996 Chicago bulls, the most iconic team in the history of the NBA, and Michael Jordan’s alma mater.
Now the media is starting a new kind of competition between the then-Bulls vs. the now-Warriors. It’s not the same kind of comparison that we’ve seen in the past, because the Warriors and their front man Steph Curry are changing the game.
It’s not all about the huge guys dunking anymore. Curry is guiding the game behind the three-point line, taking shots from farther and farther away and making it more difficult for defense to adapt. That’s why he’s unstoppable.
No one has seen a game played like this. The big guys can’t stop them, their defense is too quick, and their offense is on fire. The way the game has typically been coached is no longer effective against a team like Golden State.
They’re almost as unstoppable as the ’95-’96 Bulls.
The monumental 72-10 season of the ‘95-’96 Bulls was never threatened like it is this season. But, with a 69-8 record, it’s possible for the determined Golden State to keep their losses under ten for the season. However, a minor setback in their historical run came from Boston’s home team, as the Celtics handed the Warriors their first home loss of the season.
With the NBA regular season coming to a close, discussion of LeBron is being pushed to the side, even when he attempted to coach the Cavaliers on March 29 when he sat for a game to rest up for the upcoming playoffs.
The excitement of watching Golden State and the comparisons to the astonishing Bulls overshadow any other basketball discussion, including those about the once “king.” Though the discussion might have shifted, there is still plenty to talk about in the NBA. And who knows, maybe the new rivalry won’t be LeBron vs Jordan, but Curry vs. Jordan.