Retired NBA forward Channing Frye caused quite a stir recently when he claimed the only thing Michael Jordan did well was score the basketball. After all, many regard Jordan as the greatest basketball player of all time.
Frye clarified his comments on Wednesday during a segment with Chris Broussard and Rob Parker, claiming he never meant to suggest LeBron James was better than MJ while also stating “none of this [in this argument] is taking anything away from Jordan.”
My partner @robparkerfs1 pulling no punches with our guest @channingfrye for backpedaling on his Jordan-GOAT comments. pic.twitter.com/d2fjrSMzDf
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) May 20, 2020
Frye said earlier last week that Jordan's only role was to score the basketball. He also stated Jordan's “way of winning” would not work in the modern NBA, as compared to someone like James.
“He only had really one job,” Channing Frye said of Michael Jordan. “And that was to just score. And he did that at an amazing, amazing rate. But I don’t feel like his way of winning then would translate to what it is now. Guys wouldn’t want to play with him.”
Yes, Jordan was absolutely the primary scoring option throughout the course of his career. He still has the highest scoring average in NBA history.
However, saying Jordan “only” had one job is ludicrous, and Frye likely knows what he said was blasphemous.
Jordan averaged 6.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists for his NBA career. He was also named first-team All-Defense nine times and is widely regarded as one of the best perimeter defenders ever. Not to mention, ESPN's “The Last Dance” showcased just how much Jordan gave as a leader.
This is what tends to happen when trying to compare players and eras. Perhaps basketball fans — and even former NBA players such as Frye — should simply appreciate greatness, especially when it comes to Jordan and LeBron.
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