Lakers News: LeBron James Reveals His Reaction When He First Met Michael Jordan, ‘It Was Godly’
LeBron James and Michael Jordan are two of the NBA superstars who are frequently mentioned in debates regarding the greatest basketball player of all time. However, James and Jordan never shared the court together. Before James was drafted as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, Jordan decided to permanently end his NBA career after the 2002-03 NBA season.
While LeBron James continues to dominate the league, Michael Jordan is currently serving as the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets. Before James and the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Hornets, LeBron recalled the first time he met Jordan on June, 2001.
“It was godly,” James said, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “I’ve said that over and over before, but it was like meeting God for the first time. That’s what I felt like as a 16-year-old kid when I met MJ.”
Michael Jordan may be LeBron James’ mortal rival when it comes to the G.O.A.T. conversation, but the Lakers superstar has huge respect for the six-time NBA champion. James credited Jordan for making the NBA known all around the world.
“MJ made the game global,” James said. “He made the game global. He made people all over the world want to watch the game of basketball because of his marketability, because of the way he played the game of basketball, because of who he was. He kind of transcended that era.”
.@KingJames and @ZO2_ became the first teammates since 2007 to both score triple-doubles in @Lakers' win over #Hornets #NBA #LakeShow https://t.co/2J8hDmGapF
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) December 16, 2018
Like Michael Jordan, LeBron James also dreams of owning an NBA team when he retires. However, it seems like it will take a while before James follows Jordan’s footsteps. At 33, James hasn’t shown any sign of slowing down and still looks to be in his prime. In their recent game against Jordan’s Hornets, James and his teammate, Lonzo Ball, made history by becoming the first pair of teammates to record a triple-double in the same game since 2007.
LeBron James dropped 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists while Lonzo Ball finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Having James on their roster, the Lakers have a strong chance of ending their playoff drought in the 2018-19 NBA season. However, their road to the NBA Finals wouldn’t be easy as they first need to beat the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors for the Western Conference.
As of now, Lakers President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson and General Manager Rob Pelinka continue to find ways to improve their current roster. The Lakers are expected to be aggressive on the trade and free agency market to acquire a second superstar to pair with LeBron James.
