Roland Lazenby highlights 'Michael Jordan: The Life' being published in 21st langauge and how Bulls legend became "the symbol of the warrior culture"

Michael Jordan continues to be revered by NBA fans globally. Not just basketball but other sports fans also know about him, despite the legendary Hall of Famer retiring two decades ago. From his sneaker line to 'The Last Dance' documentary, any and every association with MJ has gained tremendous popularity.

His memoir biography, 'Michael Jordan: The Life,' written by famous American sportswriter Roland Lazenby, gained enough fame to be published in 21 languages. Lazenby's work has been exceptional. However, Jordan has been responsible for the book's widespread traction.

Lazenby gave an intriguing answer when Sportskeeda's Mark Medina asked him why Jordan's name still piques interest today, saying:

“He absolutely elevated the game to a global level. The real eye opener for me is that ‘Michael Jordan: The Life’ is now published in its 21st language. It’s coming out in Portuguese this month. There are discussions to bring it out in Hebrew. It’s already out in Greek and so many other languages.

Lazenby delved into the personality of Jordan and one of his closest comparisons, Kobe Bryant, highlighting their trait as competitors and how that symbolized the 'warriors culture.'

"What has happened to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant is they are people that celebrated all over the world," Lazenby said. "They made the American basketball competitor the symbol of the warrior culture. That’s why they are loved and revered as warriors. It’s an amazing and wonderful thing.”

Some principles that Jordan and Kobe lived by, especially related to their competitive mindset, weren't restricted to basketball. Other sports personalities also drew significant inspiration from that, which has contributed to the massive respect and popularity they have gained.

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Michael Jordan continues to be renowned as the greatest player of all time

There's no dethroning Michael Jordan just yet. 20 years after his second and final retirement, Jordan continues to be known as the greatest basketball player of all time. He's not just the benchmark for basketball players but also athletes from other sports.

Several challengers like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have come close to taking the 'GOAT' label away from MJ, but the debate isn't over in everyone's mind. Bryant was the best MJ impersonator ever, but that wasn't enough. Meanwhile, LeBron became the league's leading scorer of all-time, but that hasn't swayed the GOAT debate in his favor among many, either.

The things Jordan did on the court and the fear he instilled in his opponents remain unmatched. Players from back in the day reminisce what it was like to go up against the Bulls legend, while several players from this generation who didn't get the opportunity to watch him live at his peak also believe he's the greatest.