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“You’re Talking About One Player”: Michael Jordan Once Commended 20 Year Old Lebron James During Criticism About Going Pro Straight Out of High School

Published 08/13/2022, 9:00 PM EDT

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Michael Jordan once praised a 20-year-old LeBron James in one of his most iconic interviews. The Bulls legend addressed James’ impact on the league at that time while discussing the harms of drafting high school students into the NBA. In other words, Jordan described LeBron James as an anomaly and hence not a suitable standard to gauge the average high school prospect.

In an iconic interview with Cigar Aficionado‘s Marvin R. Shanken, Michael Jordan revealed his thoughts on drafting high school prospects into the NBA. As it turns out, His Airness seemed extremely averse to the concept. In fact, he pointed out several reasons why such a system should be outlawed.

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Michael Jordan showers unexpected praise on LeBron James

Michael Jordan and LeBron James fans have always locked horns to decide the better player out of the two. However, the two of the greatest players of all time have always maintained a level of mutual respect between themselves.

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For example, in this 2005 interview, Jordan didn’t hesitate to accept LeBron James’ greatness as a player. In fact, he proceeded to admit that the Lakers legend’s dominance in the league cannot be treated as the norm.

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Incidentally, the interviewer mentioned the names of Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James as successful high school recruits. However, Jordan refused to accept Garnett and Kobe as good examples to support the argument.

But you’re talking about one player, LeBron James, who’s been very successful in his first two years,” said the six-time NBA champion. “Kobe [Bryant], Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, Jermaine O’Neal—all those guys took at least three years before they adapted to what they had to do as professional basketball players.”

Since then, LeBron James has gone on to win four NBA championships, four regular seasons, and four Finals MVPs.

Michael Jordan on recruiting high school players

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Meanwhile, Michael Jordan sounded off on recruiting players straight out of high school in the NBA. In other words, Jordan believed college years are crucial in the development of a player as a professional.

It also facilitates team owners to measure a player’s talents in a well-rounded manner. Incidentally, Jordan bagged the NCAA championship for North Carolina in 1982. In fact, he spend three years in college before joining the Chicago Bulls in 1984.

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In the meantime, Michael Jordan’s take on recruiting high schoolers in the interview resonated with a lot of people. The following year, the NBA would bar high school players from entering the league through a collective bargaining argument.

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Written by:

Satagni Sikder

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Satagni Sikder is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. He has a Master's degree in English from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, and has been following the NBA since 2017. Moreover, he supports the Dallas Mavericks, and unsurprisingly, Luka Doncic is his favorite player.
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Edited by:

Pritam Priyedarshi