Brett Kautzmann
Evaluative Argument
English 1020

Best Player in the World

During the past 30 years, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has been a tool to help many players become famous and wealthy. For some players, if they were not a part of this association, they may have ended up in jail, prison or even dead. For most players the NBA has helped them find a better way of life. Michael Jordan is an example of a success story in basketball and the NBA. One of the greatest debates right now in modern time sports is who the greatest basketball player in NBA history is, Michael Jordan is that player. Among the leading players in the history of the NBA are two males: Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Michael Jordan is known as Air Jordan and LeBron James is nicknamed King James. The debate on whether Michael Jordan or LeBron James is the greatest basketball player ever is a widespread topic in sports news daily. My opinion is that the greatest basketball player to ever have played the game is Michael Jordan. Other players, like LeBron James, have achieved outstanding results in the basketball world, but Michael Jordan has proven to be the best athlete in this field. Michael Jordan has had a storied career, one that is inspirational to many and one that will probably never be forgotten. He tried out for his high school basketball team and was cut because he was too short. From that point on, Michael Jordan set out to prove that he would be the best NBA player to ever play the game of basketball. Michael Jordan was born in 1963 in New York. His family moved to North Carolina when he as a toddler. Michael Jordan went on to attend college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was an all-star player. He then went on to be drafted to the NBA. He became known as “Air Jordan”, because he could jump very high and put the basketball in the net. His career was filled with many unbelievable achievements, some include; 5 MVP Awards, 10 All-NBA First Team Designations, 9 All-Defensive First Team Honors, 14 NBA All-Star Game appearances, 3 All-Star Game MVP awards, 10 Scoring titles, 3 Steal titles, 6 NBA Finals MVP awards and 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.(Houghton 45) Some people may feel this is just a bunch of gibberish, but to all sport fans around the globe this demonstrates an amazing career, and most likely the best ever. What is it that makes a basketball player the best player ever? Is it the most points scored, the best defensive numbers, maybe the most dunks or blocks? It could have nothing to do with scoring, it could be the fastest time in running tests or the highest vertical. There are a few stats that are used to measure the greatness of a player: Championship wins, points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. If players are able to put up big numbers in these categories they will most likely be put in the argument for the greatest player to ever play the game. Jordan ranks very well in all of these categories. He may not number one in these categories but he is around the top in all six categories.(ESPN.com) Numbers alone do not make Michael Jordan the greatest player in basketball. He also is a fan favorite. He helps charitable organizations in his community through public appearances and donations. Children are a big part of his fan base. Michael works hard to show his competitiveness on the court and in other sports that he participates in, but when doing charity work or working with children in basketball camps, he aims to teach them the love of the game. However, he is not the only great player to have played the game of basketball. Many players have been compared to Michael Jordan but no player has ever been as compared to Jordan as much as Lebron James has. This argument was brought forth in the sports news just recently when Lebron and the Miami Heat won the NBA Finals in June of 2013. Lebron is arguably the best