For fans, the greater the talent on display, the better. In fact, there have been stars who throughout history have had a marked dominance in their categories and when they begin their normal decline and then their retirement, comparisons are made with the successor generation looking for the next big player.
Basketball does not escape this trend and after the retirement of the one who is considered by most the best player in NBA history, Michael Jordan – with his six rings, including six finals MVP, 10 scoring titles and five regular season MVPs, among other awards – the expected discussions have arisen every year with multiple arguments about who can be the real heir to the throne of ” His Airness”. Here are 10 players who were considered as the “next Michael Jordan”.
10 Joel Embiid
Only 328 games (due to foot injuries) have been enough for a good part of the opinion and the fans to establish that the powerful center of the Philadelphia 76ers, Joel Embiid has enough arguments to be the new face of the NBA.
An intense offensive and defensive game, with averages of 26 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.7 blocks per game. To date, he has five All-Star Game appearances and, he is the first foreign player to win a scoring title.
9 Dwyane Wade
A couple of years in college with Marquette to put up numbers of 19.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.3 steals per game, alerted the circuit, and in the 2003 Draft he was selected by the Miami Heat as the fifth overall pick.
Then, in his first five seasons, he led his team with 23.9 points, 6.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game, generating high expectations of what could be his career. Certainly it has been a spectacle to watch him play, but media wise, he did not achieve the status of being the new king.
8 Vince Carter
Rookie of the Year in the 1998-99 season, making a huge impact, thus some fans thought he was going to rule the NBA. The fifth pick of the 1998 Draft generated a lot of excitement in his early years. 6’6 and 220 pounds of pure mobility and flashy play was what was shown in his first years by the Florida native shooting guard and small forward.
Vince Carter averaged 24.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals in his first five years with the Toronto Raptors. Carter did not become the next Jordan, but he had a brilliant 22-year career.
7 Chris Paul
Nothing about Paul’s small stature at 6’0 and 175 pounds, can explain the immense talent of this point guard who was taken by the New Orleans Hornets in the 2005 Draft with the fourth overall pick.
Rookie of the Year in the 2005-06 campaign, 12-time All-Star, five-time assist champion and six-time steal champion are some achievements of this excellent player. Chris Paul averages 18.1 points, 9.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.1 steals in his career. Didn’t fill Mike’s void, but what a magnificent career he is having.
6 Allen Iverson
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&dpr=1.5)
One of the players who generated more hopes of being a megastar in the NBA after Jordan’s legacy was undoubtedly the point guard and shooting guard Allen Iverson.
Coming from Georgetown University where he recorded 23 points, 4.6 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game, he was the first overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, and won the Rookie of the Year award in the 1996-97 campaign. In his first five years in the league, that hope did not cease, leaving averages of 26.2 points, 5.6 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game.
5 Grant Hill
Third overall pick of the 1994 Draft, after Glenn Robinson and Jason Kidd, selected by the Detroit Pistons, Grant Hill emerged at a crucial moment, since it was in the middle of Michael Jordan’s first retirement and the eyes of the world were looking for a replacement.
Grant, showed his huge potential since the very first moment, being named Rookie of the Year of the 1994-95 season. In his first five years he left excellent averages of 20.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Nevertheless, he peaked early, and declined early.
4 Anfernee Hardaway
Anfernee Hardaway also emerged in the middle of Jordan’s first retirement, a player with innate talent and with the credentials to be called upon to take the place as the next face of the NBA.
As the third overall pick of the Golden State Warriors in the 1993 Draft, he was immediately traded to the Orlando Magic with whom in his first four seasons he averaged 19.7 points, 6.7 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 300 games. It’s worth mentioning that Hardaway led the Magic to eliminate Jordan’s Bulls in the 1995 eastern conference semifinals.
3 Luka Doncic
It is evident that the NBA game has more and more changes and players must somehow reinvent themselves and prepare to dominate every facet of the game. A good example of this is the Slovenian Luka Doncić, who in just four seasons has been Rookie of the Year, three-time All-Star and three-time all-NBA.
The versatility and extraordinary talent of the wonder boy excites everyone. He has left unimaginable averages in his first 264 games, 26.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game, recording 46 triple doubles. If there is someone today who can be considered as the next Michael Jordan, it is undoubtedly Luka Doncić, who is only 23 years old.
2 LeBron James
If there is a guy who has paid for every illusion he has generated in NBA fans, it is LeBron James. Considered by many as the best and most complete player in history, James is one of the few that, due to his great talent, did not go through college, being drafted out of high school.
Rookie of the Year in 2003-04, averaging 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game, LeBron has generated (due to his powerful arguments) a very intense discussion whether he is better than Michael Jordan or not.
1 Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant was considered the rightful successor by fans, journalists, coaches, and Michael Jordan himself. In fact, Mike said that Kobe was even tougher than him, and the only player who could have beaten him playing one-on-one.
Kobe, with his similar offensive and defensive style, made everyone think that he was the new Jordan of the NBA. Off the court he was a gentleman, extremely charismatic, and on the court he was a legendary player.