One thing that most NBA fans can generally agree on is that Michael Jordan is the greatest player of all-time. Sure, there are LeBron James stans who will insist James is No. 1, and there are fans of the older generation who claim that Wilt Chamberlain was in fact the GOAT.
But let's be real: It's Jordan.
That's why people are always asking, “Who is the next Jordan?”
There have been some players in fairly recent history — both during Jordan's playing tenure and afterward — who have been compared to Jordan. Some turned into superstars. Then there are the Harold Miners and DeShawn Stevensons of the world.
Here are the five most accurate Jordan comparisons:
5. Vince Carter
Vince Carter was drafted in 1998, right after Jordan announced his retirement (for the second time). Talk about convenient.
Carter had a lot going for him. Not only did he play for Jordan's alma mater, the University of North Carolina, but he was an explosive athlete with almost identical size to Jordan at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds.
While Carter has drawn criticism for his inability to ever truly reach that next level, he has had a pretty good NBA career in his own right.
He spent his first six-and-a-half seasons with the Toronto Raptors, establishing himself as one of the game's premier wing scorers and setting the NBA ablaze with his legendary Slam Dunk Contest performance in 2000.
Carter demanded a trade from the Raptors midway through 2004-05 and proceeded to spend the next four-plus years with the New Jersey Nets, where he was still good, but not quite as fantastic as he was in Toronto.
Today, Carter is 43 years old and is the oldest active player in the NBA, although it seems to be a sure thing that he will be retiring this summer.
Carter may never have won a ring, but in terms of pure athletic ability and excitement, he made for a decent heir to Jordan.
4. Grant Hill
Grant Hill is a classic case of what could have been.
Coming out of Duke in 1994, Hill could do just about everything. He could score. He could pass. He could dribble. He could rebound. He was a terrific defender who could guard multiple positions.
Yes, his perimeter shot left a whole lot to be desired, but all-around, Hill was a fantastic player.
He lived up to his expectations early on with the Detroit Pistons, making four straight All-Star appearances to begin his career and earning trips to the All-Star Game in six of his first seven seasons.
Hill was similar to LeBron in a sense, as he was averaging 21, nine and seven rather consistently in the early going.
However, after Hill signed a mega deal with the Orlando Magic in 2000, his career took a turn for the worse, as injuries began to consume him.
Ankle issues plagued Hill from 2000 through 2004, so much so that he played in a combined 57 games between those four campaigns.
He got back on the floor for 67 contests in 2004-05, and from that point on, he carved out a decent career as a role player. But he never came close to what he was during his days with the Pistons.
There was a time when Hill was looked upon as the next Jordan. And who knows? If he would have stayed healthy, perhaps he could been one of the best players of all time.
3. LeBron James
James has been the best player in the NBA for most of the last decade, winning three championships and also cementing his legacy as an all-time great to boot.
But the funny thing about LeBron is that for as much as he is likened to Jordan, his game is actually more akin to Magic Johnson's.
Yes, James is certainly more of a scorer than Magic was, but while Jordan primarily played off the ball with Scottie Pippen playing the role of facilitator, James is the main ball-handler more often than not.
Obviously, James' legacy will always be tied to Jordan's, because it's Jordan who is widely considered the best ever, not Magic. But in terms of play style, James is not as much like Jordan as the next pair of names on this list.
That is, of course, no slight to James. He has his place in the pantheon of greats, and many have him pegged as the second-best player of all time behind His Airness.
2. Kawhi Leonard
The funny thing about Kawhi Leonard is not a single soul anticipated this when he entered the NBA as a raw, wiry, fairly-unknown prospect out of San Diego State in 2011.
Remember: At the time, many wondered if Leonard would ever develop into a true offensive threat, because his lack of a jumper in college was rather concerning.
But Leonard has proven just about everyone wrong, morphing into one of the best two-way players the league has seen since Jordan won his sixth and final title in 1998.
Leonard has already won a couple of championships, winning Finals MVP both times: Once with the San Antonio Spurs and once with the Toronto Raptors.
He has no heartbeat in big moments, demonstrating Jordan-like cold-bloodedness whether he is at home or on the road. He is an impossible matchup for just about anyone, and his ability to get his shot from anywhere on the floor is almost unparalleled in today's game.
Leonard certainly doesn't have Jordan's abrasive personality, but don't take his reticence as a sign of weakness. He is an assassin.
If Leonard can add some more hardware to his name with the Los Angeles Clippers, this suddenly apt comparison will become even more appropriate.
1. Kobe Bryant
It couldn't be anyone else.
There isn't a player in the history of the game who has emulated Jordan more than Kobe Bryant. His attitude. His play style. His will and determination.
Bryant idolized Jordan growing up, and given that the two superstars played the same position, it was only natural for Bryant to try and copy Jordan's skill set.
Bryant went on to win five championships, one short of Jordan. He was also the most dominant scorer in the league during his prime, much like Jordan was during his heyday.
The knock against Bryant from many is that there was never an extended stretch of his career where he was clearly the best player in the NBA. But that does not diminish from all that he accomplished, nor does it make the comparison to Jordan any less accurate.
Bryant was easily the closest thing to his childhood hero to play in the NBA.
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