Michael Jordan once believed LeBron James was better off with Cavs amid Knicks links

Michael Jordan and LeBron James’ careers have been compared throughout the years as they are considered two of the greatest basketball players of all time. Jordan may not have been too vocal after his retirement, but his attention remained in the NBA, commenting on different league topics, including James’ free agency decision in 2010.

In an interview with Daily News in 2009, Jordan said that James was better off staying with the Cleveland Cavaliers than going to a big-market franchise such as the New York Knicks.

"He's made his mark in Cleveland," Jordans said. "I know New York fans would love to have him, but you need a lot more components than just one player. He's done a heck of a job in Cleveland and they deserve to have him there. He's from that area.”

Jordan added that small-market teams like Cleveland can benefit greatly from James’ stardom than New York.

“In terms of the game itself, small markets can benefit from it a lot more than the big markets can," Jordan said. "That’s not a discredit to New York at all.”

Choosing between leaving his hometown or staying put with a lackluster squad, James’ free agency decision was one of the most talked about topics in basketball in 2010. In 2009, James won his first MVP award and became the first Cavs player to win it.

Drafted by the Cavaliers in 2003, James could not get over the championship hump in his first seven years in the league. While many teams enticed him during free agency talks, he chose the Miami Heat and joined forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

James won two titles with the Heat before returning to Cleveland in 2015. A year later, James and the Cavs defeated the 73-9 Golden State Warriors, rising from a 3-1 series deficit. He again won the NBA title in 2020 with the LA Lakers.

LeBron James says he chases Michael Jordan’s ghost

In 2016, shortly after the Cavs’ dramatic NBA title win, LeBron James said that he was chasing Michael Jordan.

"My motivation is this ghost I'm chasing. The ghost played in Chicago," James said, via SI.

"My career is totally different than Michael Jordan's. What I've gone through is totally different than what he went through. What he did was unbelievable and I watched it unfold. I looked up to him so much.”

James has since surpassed Jordan in the all-time scoring list. He is also in his 22nd season, tying for the most seasons played.

However, Jordan still has the upper hand in terms of the number of championships won with six, while James has four.