The Popcorn Stand: No-no to Bron-Bron

Let’s end this canard right now. Bron-Bron is no Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player ever. Period.

Bron-Bron isn’t even in my top five best players of all-time. Maybe not even my top 10. You’re telling me Bron-Bron is better than Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson. No way.

But for now, we’ll just compare Bron-Bron to Michael Jordan. So-called experts are actually trying to say Jordan didn’t face that tough of competition when he led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles. Puh-leez. Jordan just beat Magic Johnson, Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, Jon Stockton and Karl Malone on his way to six NBA titles.

We can compare Jordan and Bron-Bron in so many unfair ways to both players because they’re styles are totally different. And, oh by the way, he dethroned the two-time defending champion Detroit Pistons who dethroned Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics on his way to winning six titles.

What separates Jordan from Bron-Bron is what the two have done in the postseason. Jordan was consistently terrific throughout his entire career in the postseason. From his 63-point performance against the Celtics in 1986 — a playoff record that still stands — to his shot against Craig Ehlo to win that series, to his six three-pointers in one quarter against Drexler to his “flu” game against the Jazz to his NBA title winning shot against the Jazz and Bron-Bron doesn’t come close to Jordan.

Bron-Bron doesn’t even come close to the signature moments in the postseason Jordan had. At best, Bron-Bron has been inconsistent in the postseason. Throughout the postseason he has had moments when he disappears from the 2011 Finals to the other night against the Celtics, which showed another huge difference between Bron-Bron and Jordan.

When Jordan’s teammates went cold, he was able to take over. Bron-Bron was unable to do that the other night against the Celtics.

Again, Bron-Bron is no MJ.

— Charles Whisnand