Michael Jordan has not played in the NBA since 2001. Yet his legacy as arguably the greatest basketball player of all time is basically unquestioned. His exploits, especially his championship runs, are the stuff of legend, and hardly anyone would place any other team in the same conversation as his Chicago Bulls. However, former Chicago Bulls All-Star Horace Grant said the 2001 Lakers were a better playoff team than Jordan's 1991 version of the Bulls. This declaration is controversial, but it is also worthy of an analysis.
Difficult paths
Comparing two teams from different eras can be quite tricky. Still, the bespectacled big man asserted that the 2001 Lakers, featuring Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, had the upper hand over the 1991 Bulls because of their path to the NBA title.
"I would say the '01 because the West was tough. Going through Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio. We had a niche. We had a chemistry that I hadn't felt in years," Grant said. "The regular season was subpar, but we came together during that playoff because we had one goal. And that's to win that championship."
True to form, the Lakers won their second straight title with a 4-1 Finals win over Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers. Their loss in Game 1 of the Finals was their only blemish of that postseason run. Though Kobe and Shaq did most of the heavy lifting, Horace did his part, averaging 8.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game that season.
Bullish run
Contrary to Grant's assertion, His Airness' first title run was equally special and dominant. That team went 15-2 and finished the Los Angeles Lakers off in the NBA Finals, 4-1. Although the Lakers were not at full strength, one couldn't hold that against Jordan and the Bulls, as injuries are part of the game.
During that run, Horace was a workhorse for the Bulls, as he averaged 13.3 points and 8.1 boards, playing an astounding 39 minutes per game.
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