Michael Jordan is considered to be the greatest basketball player in NBA history and to the majority, there’s never been anyone quite like the former shooting guard and there likely never will be anyone like him. He was a fierce competitor and dominated the association throughout his career.
Jordan was an elite scorer and a tremendous defender all in the same breath. He could score on any defender, but also lock down the most elite players on the opposition team. He led the Chicago Bulls to unprecedented levels of success during his time with the franchise, winning six NBA championships from 1990 to 1998.
Following his retirement in 2003, there have been a number of players favourably compared to Jordan. LeBron James and Anthony Edwards are just two examples of stars who emerged after he left the sport for good and have been likened to his greatness. One of his former teammates, B.J. Armstrong, believes there is only one man who came close to being the next Jordan, though, and it was neither of these players.
Armstrong Believes a San Antonio Spurs Icon Was the Closest Thing to Another Jordan
While the majority believe that no one has actually come close to replacing or replicating Jordan’s abilities on an NBA court following his retirement, one of his former teammates feels differently. Armstrong spent four years playing alongside Jordan in Chicago, winning three NBA championships with the shooting guard as a result. He was drafted by the Bulls in 1989 and remained with the franchise until 1995, leaving shortly before Jordan came out of retirement to rejoin the team.
He saw up close how special his teammate was at the game of basketball, but thinks that one man compared to Jordan. Per Basketball Network, Armstrong revealed that San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan is the closest thing to another Michael Jordan. Via quotes shared by the site, he said:
“Tim Duncan was a marvelous player. He played the game from the four, the five position. He was one of the unique players, like a Michael Jordan, who could get to spaces on the court you couldn’t do anything about.
“Tim Duncan, to me, is a player that is really as unique a talent as I’ve seen in the NBA. And you’re going to have a player that’s going to counter a talent like Michael Jordan, who was utmost flawless technically in his game, Tim Duncan can do that.”
Duncan was drafted by the Spurs in 1997 and spent his entire 19-year career with the franchise. The Big Fundamental was consistently one of the greatest players in the NBA during his time in Texas and helped San Antonio win five championships. He was named the MVP on two occasions and his combination of superb scoring and tight defending made him a real problem for teams across the league. It’s also why Armstrong thinks that Duncan was the closest thing to another Jordan which is an incredible compliment.
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