Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson's Recent Comments of Lebron James

Recently, former NBA stars, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson were asked what they thought about Lebron James teaming up with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat. They all responded in the same fashion basically saying that it was a move that they would have never considered because they enjoyed the challenge every season of trying to beat one another. Jordan, Bird and Johnson's comments are below:

"There's no way, with hindsight, I would've ever called up Larry [Bird], called up Magic [Johnson] and said, 'Hey, look, let's get together and play on one team,'" Jordan said after playing in a charity golf tournament this past weekend. "But that's ... things are different. I can't say that's a bad thing. It's an opportunity these kids have today. In all honesty, I was trying to beat those guys."-Michael Jordan

“He’s an incredible, incredible talent and he would bring a winning atmosphere to New York,” Johnson said. “He would be someone the city is buzzing about and want to see. He would create an atmosphere where other players would want to play with him. At the end of the day, he would win a championship.”-Magic Johnson

“I just hope he stays in Cleveland,” he said. “He means so much to that state. Plus, I like to see players stay where they were drafted.”-Larry Bird

I do see where they are coming from in that respect. I think there is a certain pride in being the leader of your team and leading them to championships without the help of other superstars. This move is seen as maybe the "easy way out" for Lebron as he desperately needs to cement his legacy with NBA championship rings. You can't call yourself King James or even be considered as potentially the best since Michael Jordan or the best player ever for that matter without winning rings.

However, Jordan, Bird, and Magic all played in a different era of NBA basketball. They were trailblazers in their craft. I have heard the argument that NBA players in todays game are bigger, faster, and more physical than in years past, making it more difficult to post the kind of numbers that Lebron and Kobe Bryant do on a nightly basis. On the other side of that argument, players were more fundamentally sound back in the old days. They were much better shooters and were sound on defense. Todays game almost looks like a pick up game at times. NBA referees are far more lax on the rules of basketball than they used to be. This is why I think the college game is more of a true version of how the game should be played. March Madness is 100 times more exciting than the NBA playoffs.

In my opinion, James has been childish in his demeanor during his time in the league. He is an immense talent, but mentally his head is not in the right place. I think for him to get over the hump, he will need a Wade or Bosh to bail him out when playoff time comes. He simply isn't consistent come playoff time. I give him credit for having amazing playoff games, but especially this past season in the Celtics series, it was plain to see that he checked out mentally. He had a huge Game 2 and from there on out, he looked like he was just going through the motions.