B.J. Armstrong played six seasons with the Chicago Bulls and won three championships alongside Michael Jordan, which is why it’s safe to say that the University of Iowa product knew MJ and his mindset pretty well. So when LeBron James said that he was chasing Michael’s ghost, Armstrong gave “King James” unsolicited advice.
“Chasing a ghost is in make-believe land,” Armstrong said. “That’s far-out, that’s unattainable, that’s something you can’t achieve. This ain’t no ghost.”
Chasing the ghost in Chicago
After winning Cleveland’s first-ever championship in 2016, LeBron told Sports Illustrated that his goal is to catch Jordan.
“My motivation is the ghost I’m chasing. The ghost played in Chicago,” James said.
LeBron also acknowledged that what he’s gone through in his career is entirely different from MJ’s path. However, James added that he still looked up to Mike as a player and it is a great feat to be held in the same breath as him.
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That said, B.J. advised LeBron that being constantly compared to “His Airness” is not the way for the then-Cavaliers forward to surpass MJ.
“This is to LeBron James: If you want to be the best, get rid of the comparisons,” Armstrong added. “Get rid of all the comparisons that are out there. That’s what Michael Jordan did. Jordan realized that to be the best, you had to get rid of all the comparisons.”
The self-proclaimed GOAT
Armstrong went on to say that there is a blueprint for LeBron to become the greatest player ever. But even though the comparisons between the two come down to accolades and individual achievements, B.J. advised James to take a different route.
“There’s only one way to get there. It’s not possible for him to do what Jordan did because the circumstances are different; everything is different. What is possible for him is to be bigger than every situation that’s put in front of him, to dominate every situation that’s in front of him,” he added.
It took James four years to add another championship to his name after the 2016 title. Still, two years after leading the Cavs to a historic Finals comeback against the Golden State Warriors, LeBron looked back on that series victory and said that it made him the GOAT.
Fast forward to today, and James is yet to match MJ’s championship tally. However, his NBA resume tops Jordan’s in many different categories, as the Los Angeles Lakers superstar continues to showcase unprecedented greatness as a 39-year-old.
Perhaps that’s what Armstrong meant when he told LBJ to get rid of the comparisons. Because, for all of Michael’s greatness as a player, no one in NBA history matches LeBron’s longevity.
