NBA
Michael Jordan Had a Fear Factor That LeBron James Just Can’t Match, According to Mario Chalmers
Joe Kozlowski began his career as a sports journalist in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2019. He covers the NBA and soccer for Sportscasting, with specialties in legacy NBA players such as Michael Jordan and Premier League club Arsenal. Off the clock, he's a Kansas City Chiefs fan and a hockey goalie. Growing up loving Shaquille O'Neal and reading everything he could about the great big men throughout NBA history — likely because he was still tall enough, at least relative to his peers, to play center — he's continued to love learning about and exploring the historical and story-based sides of the basketball archives. As for Arsenal, Joe spent a year living in London and latched onto the local support of the club. He's barely missed a match since, loving Arsene Wenger, enduring the Banter Era, and following along through rebuilds. The Premier League interest developed into a passionate following of the Champions League, Europe's big five league, and international soccer as a whole when played at the highest level. Regardless of the sport, Joe is captivated by the stories of athletes beyond the box scores and how they push the envelope — both in terms of what we think a human is capable of accomplishing and how they find new competitive tactics to win.
All posts by Joe KozlowskiUpdated26 Mar 2023
At this point in time, there’s nothing ground-breaking about comparing LeBron James to Michael Jordan. Whether you agree or disagree with the practice, two of basketball’s greats are always going to be placed in parallel to each other; it’s not exactly fair, but that’s how sports-based debates tend to work.
If you insist that His Airness is forever superior to LeBron, you’re in luck. According to Mario Chalmers, who played alongside James in Miami, the current Laker can’t touch MJ in one area: the fear he inspired in opponents.
Agree with that assessment? Think it’s only one man’s opinion? Let’s roll the tape and check it out.
Mario Chalmers gives Michael Jordan the edge when it comes to NBA fear factors
If you’ve ever played sports, you know that the very sight of a specific opponent can strike fear into your heart. Mario Chalmers understands that, but he doesn’t think LeBron James moves the needle in that department.
“Nobody fears Bron,” his former teammate explained during a Playmaker interview. “Nobody’s like, ‘Damn, I gotta go play against LeBron tonight.’ Nobody said that. I don’t know why because I’ve seen people be scared when they actually line up to him. But they’re not scared thinking about that matchup.”
At that point, the specter of Michael Jordan entered the conversation. When you’re talking about all-time NBA greatness, after all, it’s inevitable that the living legend will make an appearance.
“You hear anybody from that era talk about going against Jordan, there’s a fear,” Chalmers continued. “So when you have people that fear a player, then that’s telling you something different already. Jordan is just that guy; like everything was like, ‘I wanna be like Mike.'”
Is it fair to count those as factors in the Jordan vs. LeBron debate?
Upon first blush, it’s easy to read Chalmers’ comments as supporting Michael Jordan’s superiority. He, after all, inspired fear that LeBron James simply can’t match. When you apply a bit of further thought, though, things get a bit less clear.
First, in regard to the fear factor, it is worth noting that James does intimidate the opposition when they actually line up against him. While there could be something to be said for striking fear in the collective heart of the NBA — maybe that’s because MJ was more of a trash-talker than LeBron? Or perhaps it’s tied to modern players being more friendly with each other? — it’s not like King James is viewed as an easy matchup.
Then, moving on to the “I wanna be like Mike” factor, it’s not exactly fair to use that as a feather in Jordan’s cap and a strike against James.
Did MJ’s incredible talent play a role in that pop-cultural presence? Of course, but he was also the beneficiary of good fortune. Jordan entered the NBA scene at a time when the Association was becoming a global presence. While he needed to be a star to seize that opportunity, someone was bound to become the league’s first superstar.
By the time LeBron James turned pro, we had seen multiple iterations of NBA talent. Jordan had just hung up his sneakers for the final time. Guys like Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Vince Carter were captivating the global audience. Even in James’ own draft class, Carmelo Anthony and Dwayne Wade took up some of the spotlight. In that landscape, where so many players have both established themselves as stars and taken advantage of modern marketing, it’s understandable that no one player holds the same grip on the fan base that Jordan did.
It’s also worth noting that it isn’t really James’ fault that he hit the court after Jordan. Does MJ deserve some credit for redefining what it means to be a star? Of course, but that can’t really be a strike against someone who simply happened to be born after him.
Does that mean that LeBron James should be ranked ahead of Michael Jordan? You can be the judge of that for yourself. When you’re pitting the two men against each other, though, just make sure you’re grading fairly.
