With the NBA Finals over and Major League Baseball enjoying the lazy mid-summer malaise that makes me love the longest season in pro sports, there wasn't a lot to read up on in the news today.  Sure, Brett Myers was arrested in Boston the day before starting for the Phillies against the Red Sox; Lance Armstrong and the French media went toe-to-toe in the center of the ring once more, with the French closing out the round with a flurry of punches (although Lance is currently leading on points); and 18-year-old Erik Johnson became just the fifth American (first since 2000) to be drafted first overall in the NHL draft.  So stuff was happening, but nothing that really affected me deeply or changed my perspective on sports in the long run.

So I decided to write one more time about the National Basketball Association and the desire of those who follow it to anoint the next coming of the greatest player in the game's history: Michael Jordan.

As I read up on the issue of the Next Jordan a bit, trying to consider a reasonably fresh angle, I realized something: with every comparison to Michael Jordan, from Grant Hill to Kobe Bryant to LeBron James, no one has ever offered up an explanation as to what exactly it means to be the next Jordan.  Is it based on looks?  Actions?  Ability?  Marketability?  If we really want to "assign" someone the "responsibility" of carrying on the Jordan legacy, we need to understand what we're dealing with: an original, complex figure who could not be defined solely by any of those attributes, but rather was an amalgamation of a variety of traits.

Before going any further, let me say this: I do not believe that there will ever be another Michael Jordan, much like there will never be another Bill Russell, Larry Bird, or Magic Johnson.  There are certain players who quite literally have no equal.  What I would like to do, though, is look at three players who have recently been heralded as the Next Jordan and assess their chances of some day ascending to a lofty spot alongside His Airness atop basketball's Mount Rushmore.

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers: From the start of his career, Kobe Bryant has possessed an incredible amount of athleticism and ability.  His cool demeanor in late game pressure situations is excellent, as he has proven time and again his willingness to both take and make game deciding shots.  He also managed to play the 2003-04 season with remarkable tunnel vision, shutting out details of a serious sexual assault allegation in Colorado while continuing to play All-Star caliber baskeball.  The situation harmed not only his image as a young role model but also damaged his marketing value.  Additionally, it was the type of situation that Jordan was never forced to confront.

With all that said, one major area in which Kobe Bryant will never be Michael Jordan's equal is desire to win.  Jordan's need to beat the opponent, whether on the basketball court or in a simple game of cards, and his absolute hatred of losing are legendary.  Never was the gap between the two more clear than in Game Seven of this year's Suns-Lakers series.  With Los Angeles trailing by a healthy margin at halftime, Bryant went into shutdown mode, shooting only three times in the second half.  When a dominant performance could have tightened the game and put more pressure on Phoenix not to blow the big lead, he chose to hang back and prove to the basketball world that this team couldn't win without him.  It was the wrong time to make such a statement and not something that Jordan would have ever done, particularly at such a vital juncture.

LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers: "We Are All Witnesses" goes the Nike slogan, and in many ways they couldn't be more correct.  Whenever James takes the floor, there is a sense that he is not so much an athlete as an artist, that he is not so much playing a game as writing his own personal history.  He's that good, a fact that is more remarkable when one considers the amount of hype and pressure that have been heaped onto his shoulders at such a young age (he turned 21 last December).  In so many ways, LeBron looks like an heir apparent to Jordan; he has rare ability, rare athleticism, and rare magnetism.  He is capable of dominating a game offensively and could actually learn to play defense someday. 

As good as he is at handling the day in, day out pressures of the NBA, LeBron is still learning how to deal with the unique situations that present themselves at the end of a game.  According to meticulous records maintained by 82games.com, he has attempted nineteen potential game winning field goals during his three seasons in the league, hitting only four.  The resulting .211% success rate is .081% below the league average (Carmelo Anthony is the leader by far at .647); he has also made only five-of-nine free throws in the same time period and situation.  LeBron is good; he is probably going to be great; if he is going to be transcendent, he needs to absorb the pressure from these situations and use it to his advantage.

Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat: It took only four games during the 2006 NBA Finals, but a legend was born.  Dwyane Wade became a super-duperstar during that stretch, earning the respect of his fans, opponents and officials as he picked the Heat up on his back and carried them to the NBA championship.  Although it was reported at various times in the series that he was injured and not playing at one hundred percent, it quickly became clear that those reports were not altogether correct: Wade might have been hurting, but he fought through it to put on an exceptional display.

As the playoffs progressed, Wade showcased several layers to his game, corralling thirteen rebounds in Game Three, burying mid-range jumpers in Game Six, making strong moves to the basket whenever possible.  He also played some solid defense, blocking three shots in Game Six.  By the time the final horn had sounded, people had forgotten that LeBron James had been anointed the Next Jordan just weeks earlier and were busily engraving "Dwyane Wade" on the trophy for the Finals MVP.

Wade possesses everything necessary to earn the title of heir apparent to Michael Jordan.  He's athletic, strong, isn't afraid of drawing contact in the lane (and is willing to deliver some himself), and is relatively cool under pressure (.353 in late game situations).  The one event that will stand out, however, is the moment near the end of Game Six.  With the Heat just seconds away from their first NBA title and up by three, Wade was fouled and sent to the line for two free throws; one make would ice the game and the championship.  He missed them both.  At that instant, a caveat was inserted into the Next Jordan argument: he might be the next Michael, but Michael never, ever would have missed both of those shots.  Not with the game still in doubt.  In that sense, Wade isn't at Jordan's level yet, although he does have the ring that took Jordan several more years to get. 

All three players discussed here are outstanding athletes and exceptional basketball players; each of them has the talent to be considered among the greatest players in basketball by the time they retire.  Not one, however, is the Next Michael Jordan.  On the contrary, they are something more: they are the first Kobe Bryant, the first LeBron James, the first Dwyane Wade.  They are also at the forefront of the group that could, if it plays its cards right and makes the right moves, do the same good for the NBA as a trio of legends named Magic, Larry and Michael did way back in the 1980s.  That, friends, is a legacy worth leaping for.

The sky is the limit.