Zo also thinks that Jordan and LeBron are not comparable.
Like many ’90s NBA legends, Alonzo Mourning strongly believes that Michael Jordan would’ve dominated today’s NBA. The Miami Heat legend argued that with his exceptional scoring prowess, MJ would likely average around 50 points per game, and that’s not an exaggeration.
To further back his comment, Zo pointed out that in addition to Jordan’s natural scoring ability, the six-time NBA champ would benefit significantly from the increased number of fouls called in today’s game, leading to an insane amount of points earned from the charity stripe.
“If Michael played today, he’d probably average almost 50 a game,” Mourning told Katie Nolan in 2015. “I mean, he really would, because you wouldn’t be able to touch him on the perimeter, so he’d be shooting a ton of free throws.”
Zo invalidates the Jordan vs. LeBron GOAT debate
Apart from his thoughts on how Michael would have fared in this era, Mourning also voiced his honest take on the ongoing NBA GOAT debate between MJ and LeBron James. For Alonzo, this discussion lacks validity due to the fact that both players not only played different positions but also competed in entirely different eras of basketball.
With that in mind, Zo confided that he couldn’t help but think about the other way around – if it was the other way around, and Bron played in Jordan’s time.
“They’re not in the same. It’s not the same game. I would have loved to see LeBron play during in the early ’90s and late ’80s,” the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year added.
Zo thinks Bron is just big for his position
This wasn’t the first time Mourning talked about MJ vs. LBJ. In fact, Alonzo once revealed that he even chatted with Scottie Pippen about it during Jordan’s birthday celebration.
Zo agreed with Scottie in that convo, who bluntly said James would’ve torched MJ. However, Mourning raised an interesting point by specifying that LeBron would’ve outmatched Michael only by capitalizing on his size advantage over “His Airness.”
“Scottie said that LeBron would’ve kicked MJ’s a**. “I said, ‘Scottie, you’re right,’ but because LeBron is my size,” he added. “He weighs 265, so when he’s playing point guard, it’s like a freight train coming. I couldn’t imagine doing the things he’s doing at my size.”
In conclusion, Mourning’s insights provide a fascinating look at how the styles of play, rules, and the overall evolution of the game have made player comparisons quite challenging, especially when it’s a discussion between arguably the top two greatest players of all time.