Why LeBron James Needs to Embrace the Label of the 'Next' Michael Jordan

No, I do not mean this in the manner that the phrase has characteristically been used in the past.

Take a breath, I have not lost my mind and you should continue reading.

More specifically, what most Michael Jordan loyalist want to see is a person who embodies his traits, his killer instinct and his win only mentality. Sure, Kobe Bryant has done an outstanding rendition, to the tune of five NBA Championships. Still, LeBron James is a freakish athlete, a different breed.

Remember the way Jordan responded to the bright lights of the NBA Finals? Heck, remember how Jordan responded after lackluster efforts under those bright lights?

In 1997, Game 5 against the Utah Jazz, Jordan finished 11-27 from the field, four rebounds, four assists and 22 points. He also turned the ball over three times and the Bulls lost by five points. 

In Game 6 three nights later, Jordan posted 38 points, seven boards, five dishes and three steals in a 90-88 victory, en route to his fifth championship.

It became commonplace that Jordan would bounce back in a fashion that was best represented with his career heroics. An off night in a previous affair was typically bad news for opponents, and everyone in the NBA knew it.

Jordan had a quality that gave him an advantage before some contest even commenced. Similar to the level of intimidation Lawrence Taylor, Steffi Graff and the 20 year-old version of Mike Tyson shared in prime of their respective careers.

Competitive athletes will not call it fear for an opponent, but it has to be characterized with an adjective that rings closely to heavy concerned with a particular challenge.

What James has accomplished over his eight year career has him in rare category already. Scoring titles, MVP awards, all-defensive team nominations, all of those accolades speak to his greatness. But we know that is not enough.

We know that he can give us more to chew on, more fluff for credence that it would make sense to pick him over Larry Bird as the best small forward ever.  

The Jordan era NBA fan wants to see James walk onto the court with a sense of passion that does not convey him having a good time. While it is in the nature of the Ohio native to be loose, care free, the purest wants to see anger, an overbearing willingness to defeat his opponent.

Being the next Icon of the sport requires accomplishments that still elude James to this stage in his career.

Remember how the Detroit Pistons silenced the Chicago Bulls in the late '80s? Those experiences did not hurt the Bulls; they motivated that young team to work more diligently, to accomplish the same.

James now finds himself on a team that is loaded with the correct pieces for his skill set. He has a wing man who is nearly as good as he is and can consistently be counted on for results. He has a big man with a feathery touch. He too is consistent with his efforts.

With each passing season, excuses will be harder to find in South Florida. James has to shake the proverbial monkey from his back and embrace the fact that his legacy is based solely on one accomplishment, repeated for several years in succession.