Will Michael Jordan ever give LeBron James some love?
First he ranks Kobe Bryant over the four-time MVP, because, well, ringzzz. Now he’s out and about calling Kawhi Leonard “the best two-way player in the game right now.”
Jordan’s sentiments come via a FaceBook video posted by Spurs Uncensored (h/t Bleacher Report), and relative to his Kobe-over-LeBron argument, these thoughts are quite sane.
They might even be spot-on.
LeBron is the best player in the NBA. That isn’t up for debate. And when he’s locked in on defense, he’s the best two-way stud on the planet.
But he’s not always locked in. We know this, even if he doesn’t admit it. He conserve himself at times during the regular season. He enters a different mode in the playoffs.
Leonard, meanwhile, plays his ass off on defense all year. Every. Damn. Possession. He’s a marvel in that regard.
That doesn’t make him better than LeBron overall. The King is a better, more valuable offensive player, if only because he’s a Magic Johnson-esque facilitator who matches or exceeds Leonard’s scoring ability.
Looking solely at two-way balance, however, gives Leonard a case. Other players—such as Draymond Green and Giannis Antetokounmpo—factor into this conversation, but Jordan, no doubt, has a solid leg on which to stand here.
