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It is well-known that Gilbert Arenas works overtime at the hot take factory. His latest fiery point, though, is a particularly interesting one that again forces the public to revisit the never-ending Michael Jordan LeBron James greatest-of-all-time debate.
In his NSFW soliloquy, however, Arenas put a little twist on it, emphasizing the importance of “the whole package,” including their personalities and behavior outside of basketball. He believes if the two megastars were forced to switch eras that James would be regarded as the GOAT due to Jordan's more combative nature and extra-curricular activities.
“When we’re talking about Ja Morant and the silly s**t he’s doing, and that’s tarnishing his legacy…You take MJ’s personality, the gambling, all that..F**k NO,” Arenas said on the I Am Athlete podcast., via NBACentral.
Gilbert says MJ wouldn’t be as successful as LeBron in this era
“When we’re talking about Ja Morant and the silly sh!t he’s doing, and that’s tarnishing his legacy…You take MJ’s personality, the gambling, all that..F*CK NO”
(Via @IAMATHLETEpod )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 21, 2023
The three-time All-Star elaborated that Michael Jordan “would not be perfect like LeBron is” if he was thrust under the social media microscope. While James' rare combination of size and athleticism would make him the most dominant player of the 1980s and 90s.
There has been much said about the Chicago Bulls legend's conflict with teammates (physical fight with Steve Kerr) and his alleged connection to unsavory individuals in the gambling world, but Arenas cannot know for sure how a player who was lauded for his mental toughness and unrelenting will to win would handle the hyper scrutiny.
It is possible Jordan would still be able to block out the noise. Furthermore, there are many people who would say LeBron James, despite his many charitable endeavors, is too passive when speaking on issues pertaining to the Chinese government. They would be unlikely to fully subscribe to Arenas' take.
Their different personalities makes it perhaps unfair to even entertain this argument. No one knows how each man would react in this hypothetical era switch. Arenas clearly admires how James has conducted himself, though.
