LeBron's path to greatness was just as hard, if not harder, than MJ's - Shannon I NBA I UNDISPUTED 

Listen to State of the Union: sprtspod.fox/Lalas

It’s amazing how this show comes back to this exact same topic at least once a month

Imagine being retired all these years and still being the number 1 topic on this show🤦🏻‍♂️

“Same hair style, same complexion, same build. Even the teeth were exactly the same” 😂😂😂😭😭💀💀💀

OMG CAN WE PLEASE TALK ABOUT OTHER NBA PLAYERS THAT'S ACTUALLY WINNING GOOD GRIEF

Are you serious? Of course James has it harder. Jordan set the bar extremely high. 😂

This conversation will never end. Two separate eras. Let them be.

Idk why people still argue over this. If you're team MJ, nothing is going to change that and the same goes for team Lebron. For everyone that was alive to see Jordan play and are still alive to see Lebron play should appreciate this moment, we got to witness the two greatest NBA players in history so far

Yes, Shannon joining a tean with two other superstars and weakening the Eastern Conference is a tougher path.

Stop these comparisons MJ had six championship rings and never had to leave his team to get them

I legit thought Shannon was gonna win this argument till Skip started actually being logical. More people will remember MJs era more than Westbrook

8:50 “How he miss the shot to win in overtime? God wouldn’t have done that” 😭😭🤣

Wait... so Jordan was never in the shadow of Bird and Magic? 🤔

Ben Wallace wasn't on that Pistons team in 07. Old washed Chris Webber & Jason Maxiell were stuck to deal with Bron in the 4th quarter coming in the paint.

MJ doesn’t have to say he’s the GOAT and LeBron has to remind everyone.

Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen, Kyrie, Kevin Love, AD, Westbrook, Dwight Howard. Nothing else needs to be said

Ugh🤦🏾‍♂️ already miss football season. Gotta wait so long.

I know this for a fact, Lebron was driving a Hummer in high school !!!

Bc all the players knew MJ was the best they ever seen even MJ without winning team, nor playoff nor titles nor stats. 🤔 the players just knew!

Man this “comparison” between “Black Jesus” and “King James” doesnt get old. Every milestone LBJ unlocked goes back to MJ...wow...does that not show how excellent MJ was?🤷🏽‍♂️

The fact that we are still talking about MJ to this day just tells you that MJ is the Goat

Pressure is based on the individual…

Shannon lost this argument because he kept moving the goal posts. "How many Hall of Famers on that Knicks team? The Celtics Lebron played had 3 and maybe 4". Skip, "How many did the 80s Celtics have?" Shannon, "But he supposed to be the GOAT!". Point of order: Those Celtics had 6 Hall of Famers. Shannon keeps talking about how many Hall of Famers were on Golden State. How many did he have to face to get there? Jordan faced the Celtics 6, the Pistons 3, Knicks had one. Shaq, a well on his way before injury Penny. Clyde, Magic, Worthy, Barkley, should be in KJ, Stockton, Malone, Payton, Reggie. How many Hall.of Famers did not win titles because of Michael and how many did not win because of Lebron?

Thank you Skip this notion is absolutely ridiculous

If MJ called up barkley and Olajuwon to team up then i would agree they had equal difficulty

How come Kareem can't be praised enough? He made the Finals 10 times too like LeBron and won 6 of them. Didn't need to seek other stars from other teams to help him win rings.

The fact that sports media keeps feeling the need to have this discussion proves LeBron isn't the GOAT. I mean who are they trying to convince? Us or themselves?

My eyes don't lie. I grew watching M.J and I watch Lebron now. LeBron has never crossed my mind as being on the level of M.J ever. Stats don't lie either.

Shannon’s argument didn’t make much sense lol if Jordan was playing for the goat status he would never had retired the first time and he most likely would have won 9 I. A row at least 1 more ring.

Bruh Shannon really making the fact mj went to college into a bad thing.... bruh LeBron had a 4 year head start and still hasn't eclipsed jordan

This topic so ran to the ground it’s honestly hilarious how they have to cling to it for views like Lebron isn’t catching Jordan and it doesn’t mean Lebron isn’t great but Shannon said right at the beginning Jordan set the bar so high even Kobe came up short it is what it is

NBA wise…Jordan had to face in the east: the likes of Bird, Mchale, Ewing, Isiah to name a few Lebron had to face in the east: the likes of Howard, Arenas, Lowry, George, Pierce… And Lebron had a tougher road? 🤣

Shannon, how many HOFs in Washington, Atlanta, Orlando, Indiana, Toronto, Charlotte, etc that Lebron feasted the entire time in the East???

I love Shannon's comeback on Skip's played out "God in disguised". Shannon "If he god in disguised, how come he missed that shot in overtime?"😭😭😭

How can LeBron's path be harder if he's able to pick his teammates, and change Cities at will, it's like one mechanic using his tool to fix a car, and the other relian on someone else's tools not knowing if he has what he needs to complete the Job

Did Shannon realize that Bron couldn't beat that Magic team and the only Hall of Famer was Dwight

I don't get this question... Bron clearly left when his road got hard and got some assistance to knock that wall down. How is that harder?? Just curious?

I'm looking at it in this way. MJ had a hard path through a Physical sense. The pounding he had to go through night in, night out. While Lebron went through a hard path in terms of Public Scrutiny.

Excuses are only made when you are not satisfied with your outcome... You never hear Jordan or his fans making excuses because they are all satisfied with HOW Jordan did it and the results.

When you've done what Michael Jordan has done in the finals, nobody cares about his losses. Shannon is reaching worse than Stephen A's hairline.

Yeah switching teams every 4 yrs must be exhausting

God this debate is so annoying. We all know Jordan's the goat but LeBron and his "special" fanbase can't take the fact that LeBron will never be the goat and it's driving them insane to the point where they overreact to everything LeBron does now.

A guy who created 3 super teams, quit, and left every time for fresh new blood had a tougher road than a guy who got what he got and grew together with that team until become the ultimate champion? Clowns from Klutch and ESPN are shameless. Are you f.... normal?

So leaving and joining/building a team with two other superstars 3 different times and going through a way easier Eastern conference was harder? Mike stayed with ONE team and played with one other all star which was Scottie Pippen who was drafted by the Bulls and then they traded for Dennis Rodman and the rest were role players. That Bulls team was built organically just like the Warriors of today, he didn’t build teams and join superstars to win. I don’t wanna hear that LeBron's path was harder when time and time again he’s chose the "Join a super team and win" route and still has only got him 4 rings. He's lucky to have 2 of those (Ray Allen shot and Miami losing two of their best players the first game in the 2020 Finals and still taking them to game 6)🤷‍♂️

Why can’t LeBron just be happy being the second best player in the history of basketball??? Men these days soft as cotton candy! Bro you ain’t Jordan, MOVE ON!!!💯

At the end of the day MJ is still the GOAT. Overwhelming majority of NBA stars, basketball experts, websites, consider him as the GOAT. Bronsexuals and casuals considers LBJ as the goat though LMAO 🤣.

Skip: Lebron played in the Least-ern when MJ played in the Beast-ern conference!☠☠☠

all i know is MJ played in a much more physical era... and never ring chased like lebron 🤷

I respect both of their opinions, but this is very subjective. I personally agree with Skip and Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player that I have ever seen. This debate reminds me of two kids arguing who is the greatest super hero though.

What's so hard about jumping to another Super-Team every time LeBron's team starts to suck? I don't recall James leaving the league to go play minor league baseball, then returning to dominate the NBA by 3-peating again. Neither was LeBron's father murdered, only to see him overcome that ultimate challenge and return to the top of the sport. When the going gets tough for LeBron, he bails on his fans and hometown to take his talents to south beach and play alongside Kyrie, Love, Bosh, Wade, Allen and Davis. That's not what I call "Mental-Toughness".

What a stupid take on Lebron's era. Michael wasnt calling every superstar creating the next "big 3". That was all Lebron's era. Michael stayed true and humble. Jordan's era was 10 more physical and the golden era of ball. Jordan is more relatable than Lebron. People like Jordan because he didnt alienate half the fanbase. (Lebrons comments on white people and not having white friends). Jordan was quoted saying "Republicans buy shoes to". There was just a fundamental difference between the two. You can tell Jordan had a structured life growing up. Shows how important it is to have a father present during a young boys venture to manhood. The maturity difference is night and day.

"I'm chasing that ghost in Chicago" tells you about all you need to know

Jordan beat the NBA best 8 out of 8 times when he was on the College Olympic USA team. Name one player that led a team out of college to do that.

MJ the 🐐

I guess when u bounce from team to team and create super teams your whole career I guess that is a harder path.. smh.. mike stayed in the same team and made the players around him better.. that's what great players do..

Shannon if Lebron hadn't loss in eastern conference finals to Orlando and faced Kobe and lost we wouldn't put him over kobe

Lebron is not remotely close to MJ... I appreciate Lebron's greatness, but nobody is Jordan

“How he miss the shot?” “God wouldn’t of done dah” 🤣 Shannon is the goat of sports talk

“ magic johnson hamstring was falling off the bones “ 😆😆😆

Kobe had a harder path to winning than both of them, MJ had tougher conference opponents, LeBron had tougher Finals opponents,Kobe in the three years to the Finals from 2008-2010 had BOTH..two outta three Finals matchups against the Superteam Celtics and had to go through OKC,San Antonio, Denver, Phoenix,Utah, Houston all 50+ Wins teams just to get there

On the other side, you don't have a LeBron without MJ. But Shannon tries to spin it the other way around 🤣 these debates are so stupid you can't compare different eras and positions... The "slow news day" standard

MJ was criticized up to the very moment till he finally won a chip after that MJ paved his own path & force the bulls to win 6 chips LeBron will never even get close even if he wins 6

When Lebron retires, every sports analyst is really going to have a tough time trying to come up with new topics to talk about.

Ben Wallace wasn't on that pistons team in 07 Shannon lied it was the easiest road to the finals round 1 and 2 Cavs played two teams with a 45-45 record then 3rd round a pistons team with no ben Wallace it was overrated

This a few years old, but you’ll get the jest Jordan vs LeBron After Lebron's 14th season VS MJ’s 11 seasons. Michael Jordan has: •3 more rings •3 more final mvps •1 more DPOY and considered by most to be the best defensive player for a decade. This award was spread around because MJ received so many other awards. This was called the SBDPOY award (Second Best DPOY) •1 more season MVP •9 more scoring titles •3 more steals leader •3 more all defensive team selections •4000 more points / Lebron moved past him in playoff points, but it took him longer. •800 more steals •Beat 20 50+ win teams in the playoffs (Lebron only defeated 10) •Jordan never averaged less than 40% Field Goal in the finals Lebron did it twice •6/6 (never allowed a game 7) •Lebron had much more offensive help, example: Jordan never had a teammate average more than 22 points in the finals.. In fact, Mj is Only player in NBA history to lead a team to the championship with only one teammate averaging double figures in scoring * In the Bulls’ 1997 playoff run, Scottie Pippen averaged 19 points per game on 42% shooting. All other teammates of Jordan averaged under 8 points per game Kyrie averaged over 28 and DWade averaged more than 26 •MJ never ever had a finals meltdown like Lebron in 2011 against the Mavs •MJ had more points in the playoffs in less games.. MJ accomplished all of this in 13 seasons Lebron after his 14th season, is still chasing the “ghost (GOAT) that played in Chicago” •Michael Jordan in the playoffs has put up atleast 40ppg, 5rpg, 5apg in 6 different playoff series. Along with an average of about 55% shooting, 3spg and 2bpg. (86 vs bos, 89 vs cavs, 90 vs philly, 92 vs Miami, 93 vs Phoenix, 88 vs cavs) Jordan won every one of those matchups except for the 1986 matchup vs the celtics. •Jordan in 88-89 averaged 32ppg, 8apg, 8rpg, 3spg off 54% shooting. LeBron has never even came close to this stat line. •in 87 thru 92, MJ averaged 5 straight seasons of atleast 51% FG shooting. LeBron has never done this. •the lowest FT% MJ ever shot in a season was 78%. Lebrons highest in a season ever is 78%. •MJ has a higher playoff FG% of 48.7% to Lebrons 48.3% •MJ has a higher playoff player efficiency rating of 28.6 to Lebrons 27.3. •MJ shoots a higher playoff 3 point percentage of 33.2% to Lebrons 32.9% •LeBron James has scored 30 points, 416 times in 1,117 games. Michael Jordan did it 562 times in 1,072 games. Jordan won 6 championships without losing a final in 1,072 games and LeBron in 1,117 games has lost 5 times and has only won 3 times (updated 2018) •MJ also shocked the league by being the first (and only) player to have 100 blocks and 200 steals in the same season, then turned around and did it again the next year.. •Mj also has more career blocks (893) than Lebron James (853) despite playing in 22 LESS career games and being the smaller guy. Also, MJ averaged 1.6 blocks per game in the 1987-88 season which is absolutely bonkers for a 6’6″ shooting guard. Seriously this list can keep going. This isn’t even a debate. Mj is the GOAT. MIchael Jordan: •NBA record 5 playoffs series’ averaging atleast 40ppg •Only player in history to lead league in scoring and win DPOY •Highest scoring average, points per game, in any championship series: 41.0 vs. Phoenix Suns, 1993 NBA Finals •Only rookie in NBA history to lead his team in four statistics (1984-85) •Only player in NBA history to lead the league in scoring, win Most Valuable Player, and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season (1987-88) •Only player in history to average at least 30pts 6reb 5assists And 2 steals per game AND HE DID IT 7 TIMES. •Only player in NBA history to win Rookie of the Year (1984-85), Defensive Player of the Year (1987-88), NBA MVP (1987-88, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, 1997-98), All-Star MVP (1988, 1996, 1998), and Finals MVP (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998) •Only player in NBA history to lead the league in scoring and win the NBA championship MORE THAN ONCE in the same season * He did this SIX TIMES!! (1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98) •One of two players in NBA history to score 3,000 points in a season: 3,041 points scored in 82 games played (37.1 ppg) (1986-87) * Wilt Chamberlain is the only other player to achieve this. •MJ is also the only player in NBA history to score over 40 points at age 40, and he did it twice! •In 1988, MJ earned: Dunk Champ, All Star Game MVP, NBA Scoring Title, League MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. Michael in only ELEVEN complete seasons with the Bulls: -10 scoring titles, -Won Defensive Player of the Year, -9 times all defensive team, -9time All NBA, -5 league MVPs -6 finals MVPs All 11 seasons. Mj has done in 11 seasons things Lebron hasn’t done and won’t do in his whole career… Two 3-peats 6-0 in the finals Never played a game 7 Jordan's the "ultimate closer" LeBron was just swept 0-4 in the finals

It don’t matter!! It’s a different era!! Plz stop comparing the 2 greats, but ones is just the GOAT MJ.. Lebron should have worn number 32 like magic Johnson 🤣🤣🤣

I’m having a hard time understanding why people don’t compare and debate MJ vs Kobe knowing they are more alike. It makes no sense

Jordan had the misfortune of having to deal with the Celtics and Pistons, two all time great teams, in his conference. That is pretty much like if Lebron had to deal with Golden State in his conference. Easier path to the Finals, less physical league, and taking the easy way out forming super teams. There are categories where they are close, but this isn’t one of them. At all

Another day, another MJ vs LeBron segment...but to say, MJ tougher competition in East, LeBron much tougher Finals competition. 2010s and now are also the most talented/skilled ever ofc

Michael Jordan kept alot of Hall of Famers from winning NBA championships, & also prevented some players from being Hall of Famers. That Knicks team especially in 93 was filled with enormous talent and desire to win. Beating the Bulls in the first 2 games of the ECF, then loosing the next 4 just crushed them. That's a big reason I see Jordan as the goat. Take nothing away from lebron James, but Jordan was on another level.

Jordan 3 peated then retired and came back and 3 peated again Lebron hasn’t three peated one time in his 20 year career. Jordan did it twice in 13 seasons

Realistically, LeBron could’ve went to any college he wanted to, so we can’t give that to him. Ofcourse, we know why he went straight to the NBA, but that was his decision at the end of the day. I’ve never understood that point. Also, “Michael Jordan is the only one who gets lauded in a losing performance. We’ve never seen that before” is completely untrue. Bron is the main superstar who gets passes for losing efforts. Anytime you speak on a Bron loss, what do people say? “Yeah but look at his numbers” “he had no help”. I’ve actually seen people say that LeBron going to the finals 10 times is actually more impressive than Jordan winning 6.

Kobe beat/faced the most 50+ win teams in the playoffs! The Jazz in the 90s; Kings and Blazers in the early 2000s, the almighty Spurs throughout the 2000s, etc. And the greatest run in 09 and 10 to win his fourth and fifth championship.

Can yall stop with the same 3 teams for football and basketball? I love the bulls but yall ain't talking about Deebo and how he's killing it right now.

It is more amazing that they are still discussing this topic with the same passion🤦‍♂️

Not saying that its fair, but the reason people look pass MJ's losses early in his career was because he was doing things no one had ever seen before every game which made people become in awe of him. His performance and style of play always outweighed his losses.

2:55 Shannon is so disingenuous. When the Cavs beat the Pistons Ben Wallace wasn’t on the team and they had a different coach.

Michael Jordan is my GOAT. NOBODY WILL CHANGE MY MIND!!!!!!

Never heard this discussion before

Shannon wrong about jordan being the only person praised in losing performances bc all LeBron fans do is praise him in all his finals losses. “He made it to 10 finals tho” but did he win?

I would have no problem with this argument if Bron didn’t have Wade Bosh Ray Kyrie Love AD Russ. He’s played so called tougher competition with Hall of Fame help

Unc can’t go with you on this 😂 I’m with skip he’s 💯 percent right

I always have to check the date on the video to make sure this wasnt old.

We love you guys Skip and Shannon, no matter any negative energy or things you may get thrown at you, us true fans of you guys love you, I know this may be so small you’ll never see it but I admire you guys please always stay friends brothers, in a world and country so filled with hate, to see you two working together should inspire nations, a black and white man that genuinely have love for each other is a GREAT sight to see, I’m inspired and look up to you guys, thank you.

Still comparing those two, why??? We all know Mj was a better superior individual player than Lebron. Lebron is a better teamplayer. They all had a different hard path to lead. But leave the Leb and Jo comparison’s alone. It just not done

I’d argue that LeBron had the advantage by coming to the league early. Jordan did have a great coach in College but LeBron was given a chance to enter the league much earlier at a younger age giving him more years to succeed and also giving him more years to adapt to the NBA. And he also had an advantage with defenders since his second year, hand-checking was removed giving him a better chance to play much more physical offensively which helped him polish his game

Are they on vacation or why ain't they uploading any videos?

Skip is right ~ Again!!!!💯💯💯

Lebron had to face harder finals competition but MJ had the harder road to the finals

Get used to this people cause soon as Lebron retires people gonna be comparing him to some young kid. Then the Lebron stans will be just like the MJ stans as the cycle continues.

When Jordan hit his late 20s he never lost again...period.

miss this duo

No way the road was near as hard for LeBron,for 1,he played with way softer players. Jordan played in a man's league

Playing in the social media era is already more difficult.. LeBron’s path is certainly harder. From having mediocre coaches to below average teammates (in the beginning). MJ may have played in an era that was more physical.. but I’m not sure that this era is more difficult to play in. It’s more focused on physical conditioning.. and I’ll tell you this.. I’d rather be more physical than running up and down the court guarding bigger, faster, stronger more athletic ballers which makes it certainly harder to guard on this era of how defense is played. MJ is MJ. I got him second all time. I got Kareem as the greatest. LeBron is 3rd or 4th depending on where you put Bill Russell. But this is a silly debate. Skip obviously has an unhealthy obsession with MJ that borders on psychosis really.. he’s like that woman in the movie Fatal Attraction .. Shannon is trying to defend LeBron against the attacks but it’s no need… Skip isn’t changing his mind. And LeBron as great as he is just hasn’t accomplished quite enough to be in the conversation with Kareem, MJ and Russell. They are in a room by themselves for now. But let’s see what LeBron does before he hangs it up. If he gets the All Time scoring title and wins another chip.. I’d put him ahead of MJ.

Ones a shooting guard the others a small forward. You cant compare

Skip was one of the people who doubted Jordan look at him in the clip in the last dance.

LeBron went thru the most pressure a Bball player could go thru as a kid

Amazing this is still a debate.... different eras.... that's the answer. Hahaha. Seems like there's a lot more talent, skilled and athletic players now a days... players were tougher in Jordan's era tho... I do think as an athlete in the social media era for sure makes things more challenging and easier to pick athletes games apart every day, every minute, every year.

6-0... NO DISCUSSION

Even tho this is a recurring theme I always enjoy these topics stg