CHICAGO — Chicago still is known as the Second City, though it dropped behind Los Angeles to No. 3 in U.S. population back in 1982.
O’Hare was the nation’s busiest airport for decades until Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson overtook it in 1996.
And while many of us were sleeping Tuesday night, LeBron James became the all-time NBA scoring leader, in the process snatching the title of greatest player of all time from Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan.
At least that’s the narrative that spread across the world after the Los Angeles Lakers star passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the scoring list in a 133-130 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Because he’s still going strong at 38, James should put the scoring title out of reach for any potential challenger in the next 40 years, unless the NBA adopts a 4-point shot down the road. James said he was “humbled” by the moment, adding: “I’m not sure if I would be able to feel that feeling again, unless it’s a game-winning Finals shot.”
If he wants to know what that feels like, he can ask Jordan, who accomplished that feat against the Utah Jazz in his final game as a Bull in Game 6 of the 1998 Finals.
James’ record-setting night caused Jordan’s name to be trending on Twitter. Jordan’s many fans naturally believe James’ scoring title is irrelevant when it comes to the “greatest ever” title, pointing to Jordan’s six championships in six NBA Finals compared with James’ four titles in 10 Finals.
Jordan also remains the all-time leader in points per game (30.1), and he led the league in steals three times and ranks third all time in that category. He was named Defensive Player of the Year in 1987-88, something James never has accomplished.
We could go on and on citing stats and awards, but it really doesn’t matter. There will always be those who believe James is the true GOAT, and because they played in different eras, it simply makes for a great barbershop argument.
The real question is why Chicago remains so protective of someone who no longer lives here and has long been separated from the Bulls organization he once starred for.
Jordan still owns his nine-bedroom mansion in Highland Park, which he has been unable to sell since first putting it on the market in 2012 for $29 million. Since 2015 the asking price has been about $15 million.
Jordan seldom comes back to visit the area because he has no reason to anymore. Chicago was a chapter of his life, but he moved on long ago, eventually becoming an owner of the Charlotte Hornets and living full time in Jupiter, Fla. All that’s really left is his steakhouse, his statue at the United Center and the memories he created on the West Side.
Before Jordan’s first regular-season game in October 1984, Bob Logan, the Chicago Tribune’s Bulls beat writer, wrote that the rookie “picked the right time” to bring his heroics to Chicago:
“He arrived on the Chicago sports scene precisely when the Cubs were departing the playoffs with a three-game fadeout in San Diego. His exploits should ease the pain of baseball withdrawal for unhappy fans.”
Jordan told Logan he was “pumped up and prepared to do my part to make the Bulls a winner.” He did just that, helping to change the perception of Chicago on a global scale while replacing Al Capone as our most famous historical figure.
We’ll always have that era to look back on fondly. So why should we care if James takes away his mythical title as the GOAT? Are we that parochial, clinging to our favorite athlete and refusing to acknowledge the rightful claim of an heir to the throne?
The Bulls have moved on since Jordan’s second retirement in 1998, annually finishing among the league leaders in attendance. Jordan may have helped build the Bulls brand into what it is today, but the team has shown over the last two-plus decades it can survive and thrive without No. 23, even without winning another title.
Even this season’s disappointing team led the NBA in average attendance (20,252) through Wednesday, though the Bulls have dropped from seventh (99.8%) in percentage of capacity in 2021-22 to 16th (96.8%) this season.
Jordan will be fine without more acclaim. He turns 60 next week and has everything else in life, not to mention some things James might never have.
James may be the all-time scoring leader, but he’ll never have a catchy jingle attached to his legacy like “Be Like Mike,” which you are singing in your head now as you read this.
James has never even competed in a slam dunk contest, much less mastered one, putting himself above his peers by refusing to participate in the signature All-Star Weekend event that Jordan put on the map.
James may be a billionaire, but he’ll never be able to claim he changed the marketing of gym shoes like Air Jordans did. Nike expected to sell 100,000 pairs when they were introduced during Jordan’s rookie season in 1985. By the time they were put on the market April 1, the company already had shipped 1.5 million pairs.
“Air Jordan has become our Cabbage Patch doll,” a Nike spokesman told the Tribune’s George Lazarus.
There also can be no disputing that “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” was a pale imitation of the original “Space Jam” starring Jordan. The reboot with James in the lead lost $163 million.
Jordan’s NBA peers were often referred to as “Jordanesque” when they made a highlight-reel move. “LeBronesque” is not in anyone’s vocabulary. It’s debatable whether James is even the most popular player of his era, with Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry perhaps taking that honor.
Simply put, Jordan’s name evoked a different feeling. When President Barack Obama awarded Jordan the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, he called the Bulls icon a symbol of greatness, saying that’s the reason someone is referred to as “the Michael Jordan of neurosurgery” or “the Michael Jordan of rabbis” or “the Michael Jordan of outrigger canoeing.”
“Michael Jordan is the Michael Jordan of greatness,” Obama said. “He is the definition of somebody who is so good at what they do that everybody recognizes them. That’s pretty rare.”
That hasn’t changed now that James is the all-time scoring leader.
Jordan remains the gold standard of excellence. So give James the title he obviously craves.
Let’s be thankful that Jordan always will be associated with Chicago, even though he no longer calls it home.
