The Real Like-Mike: Who is the Modern-Day Michael Jordan?

The Jordan Legacy

The Michael Jordan legacy is one of the most influential and iconic in the history of sports, transcending basketball itself. His impact on the game, culture, and business is immeasurable, and the ways he reshaped the landscape of professional basketball continue to be felt today. This is why there are definitely a lot of players who are keen to follow after his footsteps, even studying how he plays and even copying his shooting form at this point.

Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to 6 NBA Championships (1991-1993, 1996-1998), securing his place as one of the greatest players in history. His perfect 6-0 Finals record is unparalleled, a feat no other player with multiple appearances can boast. On top of that, 5 MVP Awards, 6 Finals MVPs, and 10 scoring titles — Jordan dominated almost every statistical category. His ability to consistently be the best in the postseason is a hallmark of his legacy.

Jordan was known for his competitive fire, and his ability to elevate his play in big moments, which led to the so-called “clutch gene” to be discussed all the way to the current era. His most famous moments include the Flu Game, his game-winners, and the iconic "The Shot" over Craig Ehlo in 1989. That has certainly inspired many players to come up with moments of their own, and many at this point, acknowledge that he is indeed the greatest of all-time.

2024 Survey for the Greatest of All-Time in the NBA

Based on this survey, Jordan is a whopping favorite among many fans to argue as the greatest player of all time. Well, there are enough accolades for him to consider, and the GOAT talks have never been enough over the years. From time to time, the GOAT talks have eventually circled around Jordan, the late Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James.

Still, being a 46% pick of a total of 1,006 respondents says a lot about how Jordan’s reputation knows no bounds at this point, and it cannot be denied that his influence knows no bounds at this point, and it makes him relevant even up to the modern era of the NBA.

Who are the Closest Players That Mirror Jordan’s Game?

Well, there has been a lot of talk that Kobe himself is the main player who is deemed to be the real like Mike, but out of respect for one of the greatest players to ever grace the game, we’re leaving Kobe in a league of his own considering that he has made his bigger mark over the years.

So we have to compare different players, but there are a few who really stand out as a promising MJ copy – or at least a different breed of him. To make a complete comparison, we would have to tackle similarities in scoring volume, clutch gene, and stats.

One that we can argue on a recency bias would be Anthony Edwards, who is a lethal scorer in his own right and is definitely one of the best young talents in the NBA. The Minnesota Timberwolves star led his team to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in a long while last season and has become the centerpiece of the team.

Then there’s the veteran star in DeMar DeRozan, who has been in the league since 2009 and spent most of his runs with the Toronto Raptors before playing for the San Antonio Spurs and the Chicago Bulls. Now he is gunning alongside Domantas Sabonis in the Sacramento Kings and remains to be known as the league’s best scorer in the fourth quarter.

But perhaps one of the most clear-cut MJ clones of today is no other than Oklahoma City’s top star in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who also happens to be the runaway favorite to win the MVP award this season as he has led the Thunder to bigger heights, which says a lot about his level of play and what he brings to the table now more than ever.

Now that we have listed our “Like Mikes”, it’s time to compare them side by side based on the various categories that we have set.

Scoring Like Jordan

Jordan was one of the best scorers in the NBA, and while he did not finish in the NBA’s all-time points scored list (yes, looking at you, LeBron James), he remains as one of the deadly performers in the league when it comes to scoring buckets, and he has been really on a tear in most of his career.

For his career, Jordan averaged a whopping 30.1 points per game on a staggering 49.7% shooting from the field, including 32.7% from three. That says a lot about how he is a promising scorer, especially with the fact that he averaged more than 30 points in eight seasons, while leading the league in 10 seasons. If you are not impressed – Jordan averaged a massive 37.1 points in his THIRD SEASON. You read that right, and he did that on 48.2% shooting while playing all 82 games.

So what about his clones? Let’s take a look.

Jordan vs Like Mikes: Scoring Average

Well, based on the stats in scoring alone, it seems that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stands out pretty much obviously for the way he has scored the ball at an efficient level – even better than what Jordan has done so far. This says a lot about his level of play and why he is often compared to Michael Jordan more than anyone else in this conversation. However, it is also worth noting that both Edwards and DeRozan do show impressive shades of likeness in Jordan’s game.

The Clutch Gene

So how is the so-called “Clutch Gene” measured at this point? Well, there are a few numbers that tell that – which is thanks to the NBA’s Clutch Stats. Clutch performances are measured in the game’ last five minutes, where stats are accumulated within the closing moments of the game. The NBA has even managed to come up with a “Clutch Player of the Year” Award in recent years.

Jordan was a clutch player in his own right, and he made sure to deliver huge performances when it mattered most – especially in the postseason where he helped the Bulls come up with magical finishes in the championships. That says a lot about a high expectation that these players have to catch up to, and definitely plenty in terms of success and performances in the long run.

2023-24 NBA Clutch Stats

Based on the stats, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stands out as the most efficient player in the clutch among the three Jordan clones. It cannot be denied that all of them excel in the clutch, and DeRozan seriously has the best total wins so far. However, SGA’s impressive efficiency makes him quite a little bit closer to Jordan’s level of play with the way he has been impactful in clutch games.

In fact, he shot the ball at 59.1% shooting in all those clutch games. One can seriously say that SGA is as efficient as he is foretold to be, and we can all argue that he does bring a Jordan feel to the table at this point, and it is really quite special to watch him evolve at this point.

Overall Stats

Well, this is the easiest comparison that fans can make at this point, and it is really quick enough to compare these players to how Jordan performed over the course of his career. At this point, two of these players aren’t in their thirties, while DeRozan himself is closing in on the final run of his career.

By the Numbers: Jordan vs Clones

Based on the stats, no one else comes close or even better than Michael Jordan’s numbers than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander himself. SGA’s season has been filled with a lot of praise as to how he’s been able to deliver massive performances on the big stage, and he’s even the front-runner for this season’s MVP now more than ever.

Jordan’s numbers are quite promising for his whole career, and it cannot be denied he has been a tough act to follow now more than ever. Many players have come and gone, but no one has come close to even at least following Jordan’s footsteps, and yet there’s Gilgeous-Alexander coming in hot.

Will There Be Another Jordan?

It’s tough to say if we’ll ever see another player exactly like Michael Jordan—he’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of talent. His combination of skill, athleticism, work ethic, and mental toughness was rare, and his impact on the game transcended basketball. Players like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and others have had incredible careers and brought their own unique qualities to the table, but Jordan was in a league of his own in terms of legacy and influence.

There will likely be players who can dominate the game in their own way, but Jordan's ability to elevate the entire sport to a global level, combined with his drive and iconic moments, sets a pretty high bar.

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