Impossible: Can Anyone Ever Surpass Michael Jordan?

Michael Jordan is almost universally considered to be the best basketball player of all time. His work ethic, drive, ego, and ability all carried him to the top of the sport.

He has in many ways become the Babe Ruth of baseball in that he is almost a myth.

Michael is a legend. However, the question is: Can anyone ever surpass him?

In theory, yes, in practice, well let's think about this.

Ever since Michael retired, there have been numerous players dubbed "The Next Michael Jordan." While the list is endless, I will list some of the more popular and well known examples:

Grant Hill, Vince Carter, Penny Hardaway, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James.

Grant Hill was brilliant for his first six seasons in the league after which he was hit with injuries and has been a consistent role player ever since. So, basically, he is out of the picture.

Vince Carter never truly reached his potential and was every inconsistent season after season mostly due to injury problems. This guy is now out of the conversation.

Penny Hardaway was also a very inconsistent scorer who failed to live up to his potential as a scorer, but still proved to be a very good all around player. He was out of the conversation quickly.

Next comes Allen Iverson who is the first serious candidate, well sort of. He was a very consistent scorer in his prime and his defense was one of the best in the league for many years.

However, his ego and superstar status found a way into his head and they overshadowed what is undoubtedly a Hall of Fame career. He is very sadly out by a mile.

Kobe Bryant is widely considered to be the best player since Michael retired. He has a great mid-range game and is a winner.

However, one point that goes against him is defensive output. Now we know stats are not everything, but when looking at his numbers and MJ's, it is a bit underwhelming.<...

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