The Boston Celtics: The Next Michael Jordan

The first time I ever saw Michael Jordan was when I was searching through the channels one night. I was no more than eight years old. He was flying in the air with his tongue sticking out as he was preparing to dunk. I never saw anything like it. He was this mysterious figure that I would grow up to adore and admire. I wanted to be like Mike, except I was a girl. Truth be told, I wanted to better than Mike. In my entire life, I never thought we would have this discussion: Who is the next Michael Jordan? Everyone keeps saying Kobe Bryant or LeBron James is the next Michael Jordan. They will never touch his status.

Michael Jordan was the ultimate basketball player. He could shoot. He could dribble. He could drive to the basket. He could rebound. He could do anything and his career stats suggest this fact. Over his illustrious career, Jordan averaged over 30 points, more than 5 assists, garnered over 6 rebounds and over 2 steals per game. It’s not, simply, in the numbers’ game. It’s in the way he played the game. He wasn’t afraid of what he could do on the court every night. He attacked the rim. He utilized his teammates. He appreciated the coaches that he had. These are things that Bryant and James have failed to do so far in their careers. There will never be another Michael Jordan, well they will never be another individual Michael Jordan.

The closest thing to the next Michael Jordan is the current Boston Celtics. I’m not a band-wagon rider. I just respect their game. It is similar to the San Antonio Spurs in the way they play as a team, but the Celtics have more fire power. When I see Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen on the court, I get goose bumps. These guys place their team above individual accomplishments in order to reach the ultimate goal: winning championships. It isn’t selfish basketball being played in Boston. Any given night, a different player is helping the Celtics continue their winning streak, which currently stands at 18-0. It is not just the Big Three. It’s Rajon Rondo navigating through the defense. It’s Kendrick Perkins making big rebounds. It’s Leon Powe coming off the bench with intensity, and Sam Cassell bringing in his knowledge of the game. It’s a newer picture of the Chicago Bulls. The Chicago Bulls were composed of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoc, Steve Kerr, Dennis Rodman, Luc Longley and several others. On any given night, someone was propelling this team to another victory. Steve Kerr made the game winning shot in the 1997 NBA Finals. When Pippen went out due to injury, Kukoc stepped up his game. Dennis Rodman was a rebounding beast among men. No one could quite control Shaq like he could. Time out: Does anyone remember the time Dennis Rodman’s daughter came to one of the games? This man went psycho. He was taking three-point shots and he was making them. Anyhow, the Chicago Bulls went through different line-ups and nothing changed. Each line-up played with the same mentality and the same goal, and each player realized that they brought something to the team. The Boston Celtics seem as if they have the same mentality that led the Bulls through six NBA Championship titles in the 1990s.

The Boston Celtics are playing with a desire that they can be better than themselves. Kobe Bryant doesn’t play like this; otherwise, Shaq would still be in Los Angeles, and he would have more than three Championship rings. LeBron James, in my opinion, will never get a ring. The Celtics will play the role of the Chicago Bulls and LeBron James will play the role of Karl Malone when he was playing with the Utah Jazz. No Rings. The best quote from the NBA Finals came from Scottie Pippen. He said, “The Mailman doesn’t deliver on a Sunday." Priceless! In order to truly grasp what Michael Jordan did, one should look at where he and his team will end in history. FSN’s “The Best Damn Sports Show" ranked Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen as the Best Duo of any sports team. They won 3-peats twice. Regular season MVP. Finals MVP. All-Star games. He has done it all with the help of his team. The Boston Celtics will be the only team, the only item that will ever get close to the individual and team glory that Michael Jordan gave the sporting world. They have a chance to surpass the 72-10 regular season record the Chicago Bulls posted in the 1995-1996 season. Good Luck to the Boston Celtics as they search to make history and to redefine what it means to “Be Like Mike."