Central Florida's Marcus Jordan: Kobe's still no Michael
One of Michael Jordan's defining characteristics during his heyday as a corporate pitchman was his ability to preserve his polished image by never saying anything remotely controversial.
Central Florida guard Marcus Jordan, however, doesn't seem to have inherited that trait from his father.
As Kobe Bryant struggled through a nightmarish first half in Thursday night's decisive game of the NBA Finals, Marcus decided it was the ideal time to weigh in on the frequent comparisons between his father and the Lakers star. Here's what Michael's youngest son Tweeted late in the second quarter:
Then during halftime when ABC showed a chart comparing Bryant and Jordan in the NBA Finals, Marcus Tweeted, "I know y'all just seen the stats too" and "no comparison."
It's ironic that Marcus would be the one to make such a statement since he and older brother Jeffrey know all too well the burden of following in the footsteps of the greatest player in NBA history. They endured other kids following them to get a glimpse of their father, opposing fans chanting "You're no Michael" at high school and AAU games, and reporters badgering them about their vertical leaps or why they don't play with their tongue out.
[Photos: Kobe Bryant celebrates title]
Marcus, long considered the more talented of Michael's two sons, averaged eight points and 3.1 rebounds as a freshman at Central Florida last season. Jeffrey averaged 1.6 points and 1.7 assists in 13.8 minutes per game as a junior for Illinois last season, but he will transfer to join his brother at Central Florida because his playing time was likely to evaporate next season.
As his original Tweet swept across the Internet Thursday night, Marcus softened his stance on Bryant a little bit.
Bryant probably wouldn't agree, but he's probably not too worried about Marcus Jordan right now. He has a fifth ring with which to console himself.
[Video: Violence breaks out after Lakers win title]
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