Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the most significant basketball player in the history of the NBA by the majority of basketball enthusiasts across the globe.
Michael Jordan accomplished numerous feats both on and off the court during his time as a Chicago Bulls legend. In reality, without Jordan’s contributions, the NBA might not have attained the level of success it currently enjoys. Nevertheless, does that imply Michael Jordan is beyond reproach? Colin Cowherd, an NBA analyst, has a hypothesis where he suggests that could be true.
Colin Cowherd on Michael Jordan
“You can criticize anybody, Magic, Kobe, Duncan, you can’t criticize Michael Jordan. Think of the power of the Air Jordan marketing campaign. Probably the most brilliant campaign ever. It’s created a Teflon shield around Michael, so that when he punches Steve Kerr, well, you know, he’s just very competitive. If Draymond Green punches Jordan Poole, a cocky trash-talking reserve, throw him out of the league,” Cowherd said.
Cowherd went on to provide an illustration of how the friendship between Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley came to an end solely because Barkley was fulfilling his duties as an NBA analyst.
“Michael Jordan’s best friend, Charles Barkley, 15 years. Barkley goes on the air, does his job, is critical, he ghosted him. No longer talks to him. Who does that? For the record, there’s a reason why it works. Michael’s great looking. Michael’s got glamour. Michael, the dress, the earring, the smile, the game, the panache, Michael had it all. He’s an easy guy to market. But take a deep breath, you can criticize every basketball player ever, except for Michael Jordan,” he said.
"You can criticize every basketball player ever — except for Michael Jordan"
—@ColinCowherd gets real about how Michael Jordan is shielded from criticism pic.twitter.com/0GZ3ngvLCu
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) March 20, 2023
Colin Cowherd’s evaluation was primarily due to the Air Jordan marketing campaign, which essentially protected Michael Jordan from any criticism. Although this may be accurate, the Jordan Brand’s influence on fans is remarkable, having generated a staggering $19 billion in the previous five years alone. As a result, Jordan will always hold the advantage in debates and discussions.
Cowherd slammed Jordan for his Hornets ownership
According to recent reports, Michael Jordan is reportedly considering selling his majority ownership stake in the Charlotte Hornets. This news presented Colin Cowherd with another opportunity to criticize the Bulls legend. Cowherd proceeded to embark on a lengthy tirade, ridiculously asserting how Jordan has experienced a great deal of failure both during and after his career.
“I was as big of a fan as anybody of Michael Jordan. But lost in all of this, in highlight culture, is you never see Michael’s misses. It should be noted, he didn’t win squat before Scottie Pippen. He just scored a lot and alienated teammates. He failed at baseball. He failed badly with the Wizards. He failed with the Hornets. Michael Jordan, take away David Stern, Phil Knight, and Phil Jackson, is a really, really talented basketball player that ends up averaging more points without the titles,” he said.
Taking everything into account, Colin Cowherd appears to have taken it upon himself to criticize Michael Jordan in recent times. However, there is minimal likelihood of him receiving a response from the GOAT.