CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – NBA legend Michael Jordan believes he could beat LeBron James in a one-on-one basketball game when he was in his prime.
He’s not sure about Kobe Bryant.
In a video promoting the NBA 2K14 video game that was released Tuesday, Jordan said there’s a long list of players he would’ve liked to have played one-on-one — Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Julius Erving, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Bryant and James, who dons the cover of this year’s game.
“I don’t think I would lose,” Jordan said in the video, before smiling and adding, “Other than to Kobe Bryant because he steals all of my moves.”
Responded James: “MJ said that?”
James was told of Jordan’s comments after the Miami Heat completed their first training camp practice in the Bahamas on Tuesday, and said that the buzz would serve as good promotion for the game.
“Absolutely, I thought about the matchup,” James said. “But no one would ever see it. It’s not going to happen. But it’s good for people to talk about.”
Jordan was listed as 198 cm and 96 kg during his prime. He averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game during his 15 seasons in the NBA.
Jordan, a six-time NBA champion and considered by many the greatest basketball player ever, has had a sponsorship deal with 2K Sports since 2011, when he first appeared on the cover of the popular game. James, 203 cm, 113 kg, has averaged 25.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6 assists during his first 10 seasons in the league.
The 50-year-old Jordan, who was a five-time league MVP and is the majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, also shared the cover in 2012 with Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
This year will be the first time on the cover for James, a four-time league MVP who has led the Heat to back-to-back NBA championships.
Heat open camp
AP
If Miami guard Dwyane Wade does anything other than basketball-related work during this Heat training camp trip to the Bahamas, it’ll likely be a little bit of card-playing.
After all, that doesn’t take any physical exertion.
Insisting that this is no vacation — even though a steel band met them at the airport and shimmering blue ocean water is beckoning a stone’s throw from their hotel rooms — the two-time defending NBA champions got to work Tuesday. Miami held its first practice of camp for about two hours inside a cavernous ballroom that had temporary lights strung from the ceiling and two newly installed courts side-by-side.
“It was good,” Wade said. “This is our element, right here. This is where all our guys are really comfortable and we can get into gear, be around each other. First practice of the first day is good.”
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