The LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan debate is becoming increasingly tighter, but one of James’ former teammates believes it’s a no-brainer.
During a Thursday appearance on FOX Sports 1’s “Undisputed,” 13-year NBA veteran Eddie House was asked to weigh in on arguably the most tired basketball discussion of all time. While one might expect House to side with James considering the two played together with the Miami Heat, the former sharpshooter is siding with MJ for one specific reason.
As part of a lengthy diatribe, House expressed his belief that James quit on the Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, a thought he simply cannot get over.
“I can’t get over the fact he didn’t show up in Dallas,” House said, as transcribed by UPROXX. “Not only because I was on the team, but the fact he was the best player and everybody was dependent on him to show up and do what he does, and he was M.I.A. He had a bad series. No, a bad series. Jordan never had that. People killed James Harden for having a bad series last year, right. ‘Oh no, he ain’t as good as he is,’ but you going to say somebody who quit in the Finals, at the end of everything, when all the marbles are on the table, that he’s the greatest of all time? I can’t buy it. I can’t buy it for that reason right there.”
The 2011 Finals certainly was not James’ best postseason showing. He only was the fifth-highest scorer in the series, which the Mavericks won in six games. But while House retired following that season, the Heat won back-to-back titles after falling to Dallas and James added another championship to his résumé with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 campaign.
James has put up monster playoff numbers over the course of his 15-year career, so it would be pretty unfair to completely shame him for one bad series. But apparently, it’s more than enough for House.
