‘I give him props’ – LeBron James writes in his high school diary about Michael Jordan, 38

When Michael Jordan came back from retirement for the second time, LeBron James was already a known name within basketball circles. However, St. Vincent-St. Mary superstar still looked up to His Airness, who was past his prime at that point. In fact, James praised Jordan’s basketball prowess even at 38 years old.

“One other thing — people been asking me about Jordan’s comeback,” James wrote in his diary for SLAM Magazine. “Me, I’m loving it. A man 38 years old and still averaging 25-plus points? I mean, they losing a lot, but they on pace to win more than they did last year. I give props to him than anybody right now.”

Jordan’s second comeback

The entry was written during the 2001-02 NBA season, Jordan’s first year with the Washington Wizards. Of course, many were curious as to how MJ would perform after his return, given that he was almost 40.

Michael scored 19 points in his first game back but picked up the action and dropped 31 in the next game. Two weeks into the season, Jordan dropped 44 points which sent NBA fans into a frenzy. The GOAT was indeed back, and he was still a prolific scorer.

Meanwhile, James was a junior at St. Vincent-St. Mary and basketball insiders were already calling aware of his prodigious basketball talent. The hype around LeBron was so huge that James graced the cover of Sports Illustrated Magazine in February 2002, where they labeled him “The Chosen One.”

MJ and LeBron almost crossed paths

Following Mike’s return, fans were anticipating his duels with Kobe Bryant, the best young guard in the league. The entire NBA world wanted to see how the Los Angeles Lakers star two would match up with old MJ, given that Kobe was now in his prime. 

The two faced each other four times since Jordan’s return, and they gave the fans what they wanted. Michael was still able to hold his own against young Kobe, averaging 18 points in their four head-to-head matchups. However, the torch was obviously passed at that point, with Kobe destroying Jordan with 55 points in their last duel ever.

Fans would’ve loved it if Jordan’s and LeBron’s paths also crossed. However, Michael’s final year in the NBA was the 2002-03 NBA season, and a few weeks after Jordan’s final game, James was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

If Jordan had just opted to play one more year, he would’ve faced James in the NBA.  Unfortunately, ha called it quits, and we never got to see the two in a head-to-head matchup.