Those stats don't show the 17 games in a row Chicago lost to Boston, I think Jordan was a part of 12 of them. lol I was in Boston Garden for every game he played there until like 88. Those stats don't show Boston and Detroit eating Jordans lunch for his fist 7 years as a pro. We had fun with Jordan with the over rated chant.
Jodan didn't win the big one until all the great players retired or got old. I would take Magic Johnson over Jordan picking every single time. Biggest game in Boston never missed it. Jordan came in it's like ok lets go watch jordan score his 40 with and lose. Bird made sure of that in the last 10 minutes of the game when it mattered. Jordan always choke and we knew itl LMAO Sorry many of you guys didn't get to see real basketball played in the 80's. They had to change all the rules for Jordan for him to win.
This whole topic is just a debate of personal opinions, of course. But "Jordan always choked"? What?!? Widely considered the most clutch player to ever play the game. You go down a list of his greatest games and about 90% of them are in the playoffs (most are in the Finals). That speaks volumes. Has there EVER been a player in the game's history you wanted the ball in the hands more with a few ticks left down one than Mike? I surely don't think so, and I believe I'd be firmly in the majority on that.
I grew up watching those great Lakers teams and those great Celtics teams. My father loved Larry like I loved Michael. I have immense appreciation for those greats, but none of them are quite like Michael Jordan, IMO. And even if (I've said this quote for 20 years and now it's a "when" not an if at this point) there is a more talented basketball player, it will be hard for any player to ever match the Hollywood-esque story arch of Michael Jordan's career. I mean things like him retiring because his father is murdered, only to return and win his next title... on Father's Day. Dunking on a tiny guard and having a heckler yell "Hey Michael, why don't you pick on someone your own size!".... only to dunk the ball right down the throat of Tree Rollins the next time down the court, returning to ask that heckler "Was that one big enough?". Cheesy stuff, I know, but that's all part of Mike's legacy. If you wrote his story in Hollywood, there are aspects that would be rejected as not realistic enough. All of that wraps into Michael Jordan's lore and makes his legacy a tough one to live up to, fair or not.
You jab at Michael for losing a bunch to Boston early in his career. LOL Really? Do you need to go back and look at those rosters? I watched all of those games as well. That Celtics team was one of the greatest TEAMS to ever play the game. Fact. And they were loaded with some greats of the era. Can you name me one other player off those 86-era Chicago teams? Most people couldn't. The only reason Chicago was even in that playoff game where he dumped 63 in the Garden was because of Michael Jordan (or "God disguised as Michael Jordan" as the great Larry Bird put it). Same with Detroit. It is laughable how much better those Bad Boy teams were than those early Chicago squads. Downright laughable. But unlike modern stars, Mike didn't bolt to go hookup with Clyde and 'Nique to get over the hump, he gritted his teeth and carried his teammates over that mountain himself. It's mind boggling to me that you use those early Chicago teams/defeats as a jab at Michael. If anything, they are building blocks on the bottom floor of what makes MJ, MJ.
Another fact: in an era dominated by big men, Michael went his entire career, and achieved all he did as a team, without ever playing with a dominant big man. Not once. What would Michael have done if he had a center alongside him like Ewing or even Parrish that the D had to focus on? It's hard to even wrap your mind around that. Instead, he had Curt Livingston, Will Purdue and Bill Cartwright.
But again, to each their own on this topic.