Earlier in his career, LeBron James was compared a lot to Michael Jordan. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar was among those who were expected to take over as the face of the league after Jordan retired for good in 2003.
Among those who were able to see both legends up close on the court was Eric Snow , who played for the Cavaliers from 2004 until he hung up his shoes in 2008. Some months into his Cleveland tenure, Snow was asked his thoughts on the notion that James was MJ with more muscles, and he disagreed.
"I honestly think he's down the middle, from Michael and Magic [Johnson]," Snow told InsideHoops.com . "I think he's straight down the middle. He can score, but I don't think his game will ever be its best if he's coming out and scoring 30 points a night. And then I don't think his game would be its best if he's just coming out just passing every time off, so I think he's right down the middle."
Snow knew his former teammate well
James and Snow were teammates for four seasons, helping his teammate grow into his own and start making history at a young age. Having played against Jordan and with Allen Iverson, the retired point guard knew it would have been better for the up-and-coming star to develop an all-around game instead of harboring a score-first or pass-first mentality.
Snow also said LeBron had MJ's athletic ability and Johnson 's awareness. Interestingly, the assessment turned out to be accurate, as the four-time MVP has proven in the past two decades. Not only is he the league's scoring king, but he is also fourth in all-time assists.
He has the chance to finish second and overtake Chris Paul and Jason Kidd if he plays at least two more seasons. Sadly for the "King" and his fans, there is no way for him to catch up to John Stockton's unbreakable assists record.
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Enough with the comparisons
Perhaps Snow's statement can be taken as a reminder that comparing stars can sometimes be futile because they are unique players.
For instance, James is one-of-a-kind because no one else in the history of the league has been able to do what he has done for this long. Paul Pierce and Baron Davis even once said that the four-time champion is an amalgam of Mike, Johnson, Scottie Pippen, and Penny Hardaway.
Meanwhile, Jordan and Magic are also in a class by themselves, as their accomplishments and legacies are different yet similarly impactful to the Association and the next generations of hoopsters. LeBron is one of the many players the Hall of Famers were able to inspire during and after their playing days.
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