Colin Cowherd says Michael Jordan would’ve been pummeled if he played today, says LeBron James would be more appreciated if he played in the Jordan era

The LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan debate is likely one that will not be settled until the end of time. Despite everything James has done in his historic 20-year career, many still feel he will never be able to surpass the Chicago Bulls legend.

Part of what will always give Michael Jordan a slight edge is that he came first. He was the first true megastar in professional sports and paved the way for guys like LeBron James to ascend to a similar level.

Expand Tweet

FS1's Colin Cowherd approached the debate from a different angle. He feels Michael Jordan would have a tougher time now than he did during the '90s.

"History would be much more favorable to LeBron. Not that he'll be criticized, but he would be far less criticized if he played when Jordan did and Jordan played now, Jordan would be pummeled... Michael is he was kind of fortunate.You could have a lot of flaws in the 90s. Am I wrong on that?"

Some of the instances Colin Cowherd brought up about Michael Jordan were his scuffles with teammates and his multiple retirements.

Is Colin Cowherd right about Michael Jordan and LeBron James?

Given how spectacular a talent he was, it's tough to say Michael Jordan wouldn't be great today. However, he certainly might be viewed in a different light.

With the internet and social media, star athletes are under a microscope more than ever before. Almost everything they do and say is out there for the world to see. Back when Jordan played, stars still had some separation from the fans.

One reason why a case can be made that Jordan would be viewed differently now is 'The Last Dance' documentary, where people caught a glimpse of how tough Jordan was to be around at points. If some of the stuff that went down then happened now, fans might not see him in a similar light.

Retiring multiple times might have also been a bigger story now than back in the '90s. Especially the first instance, when Jordan was at the peak of his powers and fresh off leading the Bulls to three straight championships.

Expand Tweet

Jordan and LeBron James are two of the greatest basketball players the game has ever seen, and walked completely different paths off the court. The Bulls star might not have been pummeled today like Cowherd said, but things certainly would have been different.