"Le Shot" Will Never Replace "The Shot"

Now that Cleveland has been eliminated, we can take a definitive look back at  the magnitude of LeBron James' game winner back in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The result is a rather indifferent, not much.

Sure, I'm an M.J. homer. I'll admit it. But I can back this statement up. First of all, Jordan's shot won something more than a game. It won a series. In a single play, he carried the Chicago Bulls to the next round of the playoffs, which at the time, was something Chicago was not very familiar with. As a six seed in the playoffs that year, Jordan took his Bulls to the Eastern Conference Finals. The last time the Bulls had reached the Eastern Finals. 1975.

LeBron's game winner did only that, it won the game. It merely extended a series that went six games. So in terms of the Cavaliers playoff run, "Le Shot" prevented them from being swept out of the Eastern Conference Finals. Nothing more.

Another factor to consider is the difficulty of the shot. Jordan's was a two point jump shot and LeBron's was a three pointer. Before I begin, both shots were incredible. Jordan gets the edge slightly, and here is why. Jordan's shot was off the dribble. Sometimes it helps shooters get in a rhythm by taking a dribble or two, however most pure shooters will tell you that catching the pass and immediately going up to shoot is easier. Aside from putting the ball on the floor, Jordan's shot was made despite terrible balance. He violently flew to his left as he was at the pinnacle of the jumper. As a college basketball player, I can tell you it is much more difficult to make a shot leaning left or right, than it is leaning foward or back.

Dissecting LeBron's shot doesn't require quite as much inspection. He was trying to get a backdoor lob and when that failed he popped to the top of the key. Ask ten shooters where the easiest spot on the floor is to make a three. Ill guarantee at least eight respond with the top of the key. Geometerically, the entire floor is balanced and you have the entire backdrop, including the backboard and spectators, on an even plane. LeBron was leaning slightly back when he released the ball, but as stated earlier, does not affect your shot as much as leaning left or right does. While it was still an awesome shot, it was not as difficult of a shot as Jordan's.

Lastly, Jordan did it on the road. Granted, LeBron had no control over where he hit his playoff, game-winner. It only adds to how impressive Jordan's was. The inbounds pass was made and Michael had to take his two dribbles before pulling up and nailing the shot with over 20,000 fans screaming for their defense to stop him. LeBron had the luxury of a hushed crowd when he made his effort. It was also important to remember that LeBron plays in his home gym quite a bit. He had probably hit a shot such as that in that arena thousands of times before in practice and in games. Jordan had played in that Cleveland arena where he hit his shot five or six times over that entire year. Don't kid yourself, home-court advantage is huge in the NBA. Especially in the playoffs.

Once again, I am not trying to take anything away from LeBron's shot. It was indeed, incredible. However, when you look at both of these shots in a historical context, Jordan's will always rank higher. Try not to get too down Cleveland fans, all seven of you. King James will have plenty of more opportunities to top Jordan's "shot."  Hopefully for you all, he will still be wearing a Cavaliers jersey when he does it.