When he began his NBA career, Michael Jordan received constant comparisons with “Dr. J” Julius Erving. Some people may find it annoying to get those comparisons, but Jordan has not had any issues. Jordan was pleased with such an honor.
The NBA had a significant share of superstars in the 1970s and 1980s. Among them was Julius Erving, known as “Dr. J.” He was one of the best basketball players in the world at the time, and did it with a smooth style. Erving was popular for his good nature, on-court skills and elite athleticism.
Dr. J has become a successful style, as proven in the 1983 NBA Championship with the Philadelphia 76ers. Unfortunately, the mid-1980s meant that Erving was in his 30s. The NBA needed more star players along with Larry Bird and Earbin “Magic” Johnson. The NBA wanted to wish as the NBA replaced J. Dr. J. in 1984 as the third overall pick.
Jordan has become the superstar player the Chicago Bulls and the league needs. His flashy athleticism was eye-catching, and the league and its fans instantly loved Jordan. They compared him almost immediately to Irving.
As a young player, Jordan looked up at many basketball stars with proven greatness. One of them is David Thompson, who is considering one of his biggest influences. MJ loved Thompson so he chose “Skywalker” to induct him into the Hall of Fame.
Elving was one of his influences alongside Thompson. Given that Erving was already an ABA and NBA star, Jordan saw him as an icon of greatness. That’s why the sixth final MVP was the reason he had no complaints when he received a comparison with the great J.
“It really doesn’t make me mad. It was a compliment to being compared to Dr. J, who has a great career and still plays,” Jordan told Brian Gambel in 1984.
“Hopefully, playing 12 or 13 years, looking back, J.
Jordan received the comparison, which meant he had to live up to the hype. Most basketball fans were very respectful to Irving, especially for his greatness across two leagues. Not only did Jordan endure the hype, it also broke all expectations.
Jordan became the top player in the league and is a name that people remember about basketball. He was a phenomenal player and a huge character in mainstream consciousness. MJ solidified his place at the top of Basketball Mountain for years to come.
Jordan is often a benchmark when people compare. Even respected coaches like George Carl do this because they compared MJ to Nicola Djokic. He has been out of the league for over 20 years, but MJ remains the gold standard for basketball.
Despite having to play under all the pressure, including comparisons to Erving, which Jordan endured. He is a illustrious example of the top basketball players who have won the greatest rights of all time. Some people even call him the goat or the greatest ever. That remains today’s discussion between him and LeBron James.
Over the years, Jordan has proven himself as the greatest of all time. But at the time he had to prove he was worth comparing. Jordan held his expectations and solidified his greatness in his history books.