LeBron James vai superar Michael Jordan?

LeBron James, known as "The King," is set to begin his 24th NBA season with the Philadelphia 76ers, marking his first stint with the team. The 41-year-old, despite being a retired athlete and a billionaire businessman, remains one of the NBA's best players and continues to pursue the legacy of Michael Jordan, the six-time champion.

Since his debut in 2003, LeBron has been seen as the "Chosen One" destined to surpass Jordan, who is considered the greatest of all time in the sport. While many fans still view Jordan as the greatest of all time, LeBron's longevity, physical abilities and work ethic have allowed him to remain a top player in the league. LeBron's comparisons to Jordan began over 20 years ago and continue to this day, with most fans still considering Jordan the best ever.

Despite LeBron's four NBA titles, four Olympic gold medals, the most points in NBA history, and his longevity, comparisons with Jordan still persist. Critics argue that LeBron struggles in crucial moments and has lost several NBA Finals, while Jordan won six and took his team to victory every time. Jordan seemed to accept that his sporting legacy was written and walked away from basketball with a successful career in the Lakers.

However, last year, when two of the Lakers' best players (Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves) were injured, LeBron led the team to the top 8 of the NBA, proving his ability to still perform at a high level. Deciding to attempt to win another title, LeBron aimed to end his career with another championship, similar to Jordan's 1998 win, which was later featured in the Netflix documentary series "The Last Dance."

The production, which documented Jordan's 1998 NBA championship and his subsequent retirement, was a massive success and showcased the legacy of the greatest player of all time for a generation that never saw him play live. Now, LeBron is attempting to do the same. According to the New York Times, LeBron and ESPN are close to reaching an agreement for a production.

When discussing a potential "Last Dance" with producers in the past, LeBron expressed his interest in ending a championship drought for a team, as he did with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. His business agent, Rich Paul, said the athlete was determined to join the New York Knicks, who have not won an NBA title in over 50 years, but the team managed to end their curse this year.

When LeBron's relationship with the Lakers cooled in July, he took his time to consider his options, and the solution appeared 45 minutes away by helicopter: the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that has not won an NBA title in over 40 years and recently assembled a strong roster. In an ideal world, LeBron would free the 76ers from their 40-year championship drought and become the first NBA player to win the competition with four different teams: Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, Lakers, and Sixers.

LeBron saw this opportunity and turned down offers from the Cavaliers (where he was born), the Heat, and the Golden State Warriors, where he would have played alongside the legendary Stephen Curry. The LeBron and 76ers union would be incredible if the Philadelphia team had kept their 2023 roster: Joel Embiid, who, if healthy, is the best center in the NBA; Tyrese Maxey, a fast and elite shooting guard on the rise; and VJ Edcombe, a young, athletic, and defensive-minded player.

However, just days before finalizing the deal, the Philadelphia team also acquired Jaylen Brown, a 29-year-old who won the NBA championship in 2024 with the Boston Celtics and was selected as the best player in the finals against the Dallas Mavericks. Last year, Brown averaged nearly 29 points per game, the fourth-highest average in the league.

The Sixers' roster now features elite players who need cohesion and leadership, exactly what LeBron can provide at this stage of his career. Despite still being one of the best players, LeBron agreed to accept the NBA minimum salary, dropping from one of the highest-paid athletes in the league, with contracts over $50 million per year with the Lakers, to the NBA's minimum salary of $4 million per year.

Some commentators criticized LeBron for accepting a lower salary to join other elite players, while others saw it as a desperate attempt to chase titles at any cost. Kevin Durant, another experienced NBA star, defended LeBron and stated that all players in the league seek trophies, money, or playing time. Ultimately, LeBron will always be criticized by his own generation and previous generations for not being Jordan, but he shouldn't worry about his salary with the 76ers or whether he sold himself to people who actually saw him play.

Remunerated by ESPN, LeBron will have a final stage to convince the fans of new generations that he deserves to be eternized as the greatest basketball player of all time, or he will die undefeated.