Heir Jordan: MJ's Enshrinement Opens Discussion About NBA's Next Greatest Player

Before the rings, the records, the orange Gatorade, and the Nikes, Michael Jordan was a fan.

Like any young athlete aspiring to be good at what he or she does, Jordan looked up to the elites of his sport: Julius Erving, David Thompson, Walter Davis, and Elgin Baylor.

Of those names, Jordan most admired the player who you might guess the last. 

David Thompson went by the nickname Skywalker—his 48-inch vertical leap was one of the most impressive shows to ever hit the court.

Like LeBron, Kobe, and D Wade adored MJ, Jordan wanted to be the next Thompson.  He wanted to be better than Thompson.

In what's building up to be one of the best seasons in NBA history, 2009 has us up to our ears in comparisons—the most taboo, yet most exhausted, is who will be the next Jordan?

Surely, when it's brought up, somebody will shoot it down just as fast. 

They list off the six championships, five MVPs, and 10 scoring titles. They bring up the game-winning shots, the relentless defense, and the one-in-a-billion athleticism. 

But if people didn't ask who is next, would we have a Michael Jordan?

When you are Michael "Air" Jordan, you can have anybody introduce you into the Hall of Fame. 

From Dean Smith, to Barack Obama, to Phil Jackson, to Phil Knight—you name it, you got it. Really, there is no name big enough to introduce Jordan, and nobody would consider it insulting if he chose no one at all.

But he didn't choose just anybody, or nobody—he chose his inspiration. 

Something kept Jordan's fire burning when he didn't make varsity, just like something kept a young Kobe and LeBron practicing late into the night. 

The game of basketball is always evolving.

Players today are bigger, faster, stronger, and better than they were 10, 20, or 30 years ago. Embrace that there will be a next.

Michael Jordan was 24 when he won his first Slam Dunk title. LeBron James will be 25 in February of 2010.

The best is yet to come.