The same game, movements, style, and even attitudes. And, with five titles and likely a sixth, which will be in two different threepeats like Jordan, with the same system and coach as Jordan, can we fairly infer this man has a significant Jordan complex? Indeed we can. In fact, we know that once upon a time, before he became famous, before he coached at a high level, before he won all those championships, before he made millions, before he did all those amazing things, Michael Jordan played ball with his friends on the street. He was just like any other kid who grew up in Chicago during the 1970s and 1980s: Nintendo, McDonald's, A&W root beer, The Rock 'n' Roll Horseshoe, and, yes, even Pippin's pizza were all part of young Michael's world. But then one day he saw Joe Dumars and Scottie Pippen play ball and he wanted to do the same so he bought a pair of sneakers and got involved.
After that, there was no stopping him. Not even when he went into baseball gear and tried out for the Bulls...
...Or when he started wearing jeans and T-shirts instead of shorts and shoes and began to play like it too. He kept on improving and changing until, in 1992, at the age of 27, he led the Chicago Bulls to their first title ever.
Although a summary of his basketball career and impact on the game will never do it justice, Jordan single-handedly redefined the NBA as a phenomenal athlete with a unique combination of fundamental soundness, grace, speed, power, artistry, improvisational ability, and an unquenchable competitive desire... There are few players in NBA history who can compare with Jordan in terms of their overall influence on the game.
He was indeed the greatest basketball player of all time.
Leonard, Kawhi Kawhi Leonard isn't quite the terrifying lookalike that Kobe was, but he's certainly the active player who has the most likeness to Jordan. The Los Angeles Clippers forward is more than willing to step up and take over a game, just like Jordan did so many times throughout his career.
They share the same intense focus and work ethic; it's no surprise that both were drafted number 2 by their respective teams. And just like Jordan, Leonard has one year left on his contract and is expected to become a free agent next summer.
If you ask me, there are actually several players who resemble Jordan. But since we're talking about current NBA players, I'll stick with just one comparison. And it's not between Leonard and Jordan, but rather between Leonard and Shaquille O'Neal. They both come from small colleges (Rice for Leonard, LaSalle for O'Neal) and were considered "trailblazers" for their teams, making an immediate impact after being picked first in their respective drafts. Both players have been named MVP at different points in their careers, and like Jordan, they've also won championships with their teams.
What distinguishes them from others is how they see their failures. Michael Jordan is no exception. He realized that failure is a necessary element of success, and that each time he failed, he was getting closer to it. Raising your expectations is one of the prerequisites for becoming great and obtaining a high degree of success. If you don't fail at some point in your career, then you haven't done much yet.
The more you struggle, the more you learn. The more you fall, the more you get up. The more mistakes you make, the better you become at avoiding them. All great players have this quality. They know that failure is part of winning, and they're not afraid of it.
Michael Jordan is without a doubt one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He's won almost every award there is to win, set many records, and influenced the way people think about basketball forever. Even though he's been retired for years now, his influence on basketball continues to grow because there are still people playing the game who regard themselves as "MJ-ers".
He was able to do things that other players could only dream of doing because he wanted it bad enough. He worked hard to achieve his goals, learned from his mistakes, and never stopped trying new things until he succeeded. This is what makes him special.
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