No, The Last Dance Did Not End the Jordan and LeBron Debate: Unchecked

The Last Dance was a reminder of the greatness of Michael Jordan but it did not end the MJ and LeBron James debate.

No, The Last Dance did not end the Michael Jordan vs LeBron James debate. Don’t be ridiculous.

This is far less a dig about LeBron and far more about Michael Jordan, but The Last Dance has undoubtedly widened the gap between the two - particularly for the younger generation... MJ is the greatest. Here we are, 22 years later, and his star shines brighter than ever.

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 18, 2020

In fact, the first thing ESPN did after the last episode ended was release a poll comparing the two, and that conversation is basically the only thing I’ve seen for weeks. It’s almost as if reminding people of MJ’s position for said debate was the sole reason the documentary was made in the first place. Especially considering the report Jordan only okayed it on the day of the Cavs championship parade in 2016, a moment LeBron said made him the greatest to ever play. 

Now, I will say, just like in his career, it certainly feels as if Michael came through in the clutch again.

Michael Jordan averaged 33.7 points in Game 7s.

That is the second-most all-time among players to play in at least 3 Game 7s.

LeBron James is the only player to have averaged more.#TheLastDance pic.twitter.com/5qSj7Q5zoR

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 18, 2020

We all needed something and in flew Air Jordan like the real life superhero he is. And his already legendary narrative packaged and edited for maximum impact and put to music was certainly effective. It even had respondents to that poll I mentioned saying Jordan was the better passer and had a more positive impact off the court than LeBron. Word? 

I'm not debating against Michael Jordan being the GOAT, but let's be real. It isn't this big of a landslide. This quarantine and doc must've given fans amnesia.

LeBron's a better offensive player, passer, clutch performer (more than just GW shots), and positive impact off court. https://t.co/63kZwdT4hh

— GOWIE (@DaKidGowie) May 18, 2020

It’s almost as if The Last Dance was the Michael Jordan of propaganda. But here’s the thing, unlike MJ, LeBron is still playing. And James on the Lakers is not Jordan on the Wizards. He is still the best player in the NBA in year 17.

While one could already easily argue LeBron is the most valuable player in league history, he has a chance to add to his resume with a good shot at passing Kareem Abdul Jabbar as the league’s all time leading scorer, in addition to moving toward the top five on the assists list. And if he wins a title in Los Angeles, with his third team, what do you think people are going to say? Yeah, you know. 

Personally, I would like to thank Michael Jordan for the entertainment and content during this time, but if you think this documentary is The Last Dance for Jordan and LeBron, then I’m a meme of MJ looking at a screen. 

This man Michael Jordan is a walking meme😂😂 pic.twitter.com/Tt8VDfGTeO

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 11, 2020