Hall of Fame shooting guard Michael Jordan, principal owner of the Charlotte Hornets, traveled with his team to Paris, France, with the NBA showcased in a regular-season matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks overseas.
Jordan, 56, was asked about how he would handle himself against the competition in the Association today, a common through-line of debate amongst fans and pundits.
Per The Athletic's Roderick Boone:
I think you’ve got a lot of different descriptions of how I would play against these guys. I’m pretty sure I would make my adjustments. I think the game would still be played with a sense of passion. I don’t think the passion in the game of basketball has changed. I think the talent’s changed. I think the versatility has changed.
Now, would I have had as much success? We’ll never know. I’ll let you guys speculate on that. But I think my passion for the game would’ve been the same. I love the game of basketball.
With Los Angeles Lakers star forward LeBron James' rise, Jordan has often been compared to the current superstar and three-time champion. James is expected to pass Kobe Bryant for third all-time in the league's career scoring leaders when the Lakers play in Philadelphia against the Sixers this weekend, and James will only trail Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone in scoring—one of the hallmarks of comparing greats across eras.
Supporters of Jordan's legacy put his titles on a podium; he's a six-time champion along with five-time MVP and ten-time scoring champion while James only has three rings (and counting), four MVP awards, and one scoring title.
The debate will rage on long well after LeBron's retirement (whenever that will be), but for now Michael Jordan is confident he could adjust his game to play in today's NBA.
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