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When Michael Jordan retired the sports cognoscenti clamored to find his replacement. Kobe Bryant quickly rose to the top. Then a few years later came Dwyane Wade and LeBron James.

THE NEXT OF KIN

Everything Jordan had you will find in these three young men. The beauty, the explosiveness, the dominance, the swagger and most importantly an unabashed love for the game. But without Jordan these guys do not exist. He was the cell that divided into them. You see this phenomenon everywhere—in music, film, art, business, etc. There’s always a postmodern trend-setter who breaks onto the scene and shocks the establishment. Initially the establishment bucks this affront to the status quo, but over time they begin to appreciate the diversity the maverick adds to the homogeneity. Michael Jordan was the NBA’s postmodern maverick. But where did he come from? Well, Jordan was the product of this:

And this:

Jordan was the fusion of these two disparate entities. The NBA merged with the ABA in 1976 to add some sexiness to their stodgy league. Although some of the ABA stars, most notably Julius “Dr. J” Erving, had success in the NBA, it wasn’t until Jordan stepped onto the scene that the goal of the merger was really solidified.

He had the fundamentals, but he added a relatively diverse layer on top that made him memorable. Without that “sizzle” he would be Tim Duncan. No offense to Mr. Duncan. Great player in his own right. I just don’t think we’ll be gathering around the TV to watch Tim Duncan’s top ten highlights in the near future.
THE EINSTEIN OF….SORRY CAN’T THINK OF ANY BASKETBALL THEMED ALLITERATIONS AT THE MOMENT
Jordan’s style was light years ahead of everyone he played with, then in the late 90s came Mamba and then in the early part of the new millennium came Bron and D-Wade whose styles are also light years ahead of everyone they play with. And they are influencing a new generation of players whose respective games will be—well, you get the point. We’re in for a helluva thing. Don’t believe me, check out the vids below: