Earlier this week, LeBron James said that Michael Jordan gets too much credit for the NBA titles won by the Chicago Bulls during his time. According to the Cleveland Cavaliers star player, some fans tend to forget the big contributions made by Jordan's teammates.
The alleged shot at Jordan aired during James' time on the Open Run podcast. During the program, James talked about various aspects in his career, which also includes his idol, Jordan.
In the podcast, James looked back at the accomplishments of the Bulls and said that not all of those can be solely attributed to Jordan alone.
"I don't think M.J. ever had a Game 7 in the Finals," he said. "And people say well he was able to close it out early. They act like he just did it all on his own and things of that nature. They forget the shot by [John] Paxson on the left wing."
"You want to know the crazy thing? In that game, in that particular game in Phoenix, M.J. didn't even have the ball in his hands," he added. "[Scottie] Pippen brought the ball up, [Charles] Barkley went for the steal, Pippen threw it down to Horace Grant and... because Barkley went for the gamble, they rotated to Horace Grant and Horace Grant threw it to Paxson. M.J. had nothing to do with that play."
Since the podcast aired, various media outlets reported that the James targeted Jordan through his statements. But, as noted by CBS Sports, they were clearly not shot against the NBA legend.
Instead, James was merely pointing out the reality that the success of the Chicago organization did not rest solely on Jordan. Despite his skills, the Bulls would probably not be a multi-title holder if Jordan was not surrounded by reliable teammates.
Also, it's important to take note that James looks up to Jordan. Although a lot of people have been saying that he has already surpassed his idol, James had repeatedly said his motivation is still Jordan.
"My career is totally different than Michael Jordan's," he told Sports Illustrated. "What I've gone through is totally different than what he went through. What he did was unbelievable, and I watched it unfold."
"I looked up to him so much," he added. "I think it's cool to put myself in position to be one of those greatest players, but if I can ever put myself in position to be the greatest player, that would be something extraordinary."
