Stan Van Gundy Thinks Michael Jordan Fans Play Big Part In LeBron James Hate: ‘I Think That’s Unfortunate’

Former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy is a big fan of Michael Jordan and LeBron James. 

However, Van Gundy thinks Jordan fans play a big part in why James gets so much hate. 

“LeBron’s gotten a little hate for a long time for a lot of different things,” Van Gundy told David Samson. “Whether it was his decision to come to Miami that he announced on TV, whether it was bumping into Erik Spoelstra. Whatever it is, LeBron’s gotten a lot of hate for a guy who’s had the best career of any NBA player, ever. And we can argue who the best player has been in the NBA, but it’s hard to argue that anyone’s had a better career.

“The most amazing thing to me is, this guy has been a national figure since he’s been in eighth grade, what’s the biggest off-court controversy you’ve got on this guy? This guy has done nothing except represent the game of basketball and the league well. And yet, there’s this hate for him. I have never understood the negativity around him. I think a lot of it was there’s so many people out there who just revered Michael Jordan and the fact that people would question, ‘Is LeBron as good?’ led to a hatred of LeBron instead of an appreciation of what he’s done. And I think that’s unfortunate.”

Jordan and James are universally recognized as the two best players in NBA history. James grew up idolizing Jordan. 

The last time Jordan spoke about James was back in 2020. It was during a press conference in Paris while Jordan was still the owner of the Charlotte Hornets. 

“He’s an unbelievable player,” Jordan said of James in 2020. “He’s one of the best players in the world, if not the best player in the world. I know it’s a natural tendency to compare eras to eras and it’s gonna continue to happen. I’m a fan of his. I love watching him play. 

“But as you can see, our league is starting to expand on very talented players. And I think he’s made his mark. He will continue to do so over a period of time, but when you start the comparisons, I think it is what it is. It’s just a standard of measurement. I take it with a grain of salt. He is a heck of a basketball player without a doubt.”

Jordan and James have combined to win nine MVPs, 10 championships and 10 Finals MVPs. 

Jordan is first in NBA history in points per game, while James is first all-time in points.