Tag: Michael Jordan

Legendary NBA writer Jack McCallum: Michael Jordan kind of needed Sports Illustrated. LeBron doesn’t need anybody

Hall of Fame basketball writer Jack McCallum started covering the NBA in 1981, just as the Magic Johnson, Larry Bird rivalry was taking shape. After authoring 12 books, including the bestseller Dream Team, and 30-plus years at Sports Illustrated, …

Hall of Fame basketball writer Jack McCallum started covering the NBA in 1981, just as the Magic Johnson, Larry Bird rivalry was taking shape. After authoring 12 books, including the bestseller Dream Team, and 30-plus years at Sports Illustrated, McCallum can be regarded as one of the most impactful basketball writers ever.

The renowned sportswriter spoke with HoopsHype about covering the league as its popularity was gaining steam, following the Mike D’Antoni Suns for an entire season, how David Stern had some similarities with Donald Trump, and more.

LeBron James beats Michael Jordan’s record, becomes oldest player with a game-winning buzzer-beater

On Wednesday, March 26, 2025, LeBron James took the record from Michael Jordan as oldest player with game-winning buzzer-beater.

It was probably not the type of game-winning buzzer-beater kids dream of while shooting hoops in their front yards, but LeBron James‘ tip-in on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, gave the Lakers a 120-119 win over the Indiana Pacers last night.

It also gave James yet another record, one that – again – came at the expense of his main rival in the GOAT debate, Michael Jordan, that of oldest player in NBA history to hit a game-winning buzzer-beater.

Jordan was 38 years and 358 days old when he hit his last game-winning buzzer-beater back on January 31, 2002. James was 40 years and 86 days old yesterday, beating MJ’s record by a fair amount.

Apparently, this is one thing GOAT candidates like to one-up each other with, because Jordan had previously beaten Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record in this very same category.

For James, it was his first regular-season game-winning buzzer-beater since February 7, 2018, and somehow only his third ever in the regular season. Strangely enough, he has more in the playoffs (five) than in the regular season.

James now has eight career game-winning buzzer-beaters, one behind Jordan, who holds the all-time record with nine. James is now tied with Kobe Bryant and Joe Johnson for the second-most game-winning buzzer-beaters ever.

Fun fact: James is the first player in NBA history to have three buzzer-beating game-winners against the same team… all while playing for different teams himself.

Below, check out the oldest players to have a game-winning buzzer-beater in NBA history.

The most outlier NBA salaries on record

The salaries of the 1990s are nowhere near what players enjoy today, even after adjusting for inflation. Still, in that decade there were some absolute outliers relative to what most players were making. The most outstanding example is the year …

The salaries of the 1990s are nowhere near what players enjoy today, even after adjusting for inflation. Still, in that decade there were some absolute outliers relative to what most players were making.

The most outstanding example is the year Michael Jordan won his fifth NBA title. In that 1996-97 season, he earned more than $30 million. That amount represented 3.75 percent of the total NBA salary expenditure that year. If Air Jordan played under those same conditions today, he would have earned almost 200 million dollars in the 2024-25 season!

Below, take a look at the most outlier NBA salaries since 1990, which is as far as our data goes back.

The peak GOATs: Ranking the NBA’s best at their best

HoopsHype ranks 25 of the NBA’s GOATS in order of best five-year peaks, as judged by Global Rating and a panel of voters.

After LeBron James broke the NBA’s all-time scoring record, some naysayers started calling him the Longevity GOAT as a way to avoid calling him the actual GOAT.

Although James, according to us, has by now done enough to be considered the NBA’s GOAT, we still wanted to look at the best five-year peaks in NBA history. (Spoiler alert: James ranks very high in this exercise.)

To determine when exactly each player’s peak took place, we used our own Global Rating Metric and went by each player’s best five continuous seasons. After that, we asked a panel of our writers and editors to vote on which five-year peaks by NBA legends were the best.

No. 1 might be a surprise considering who we just said we have as our outlet’s GOAT, though maybe not a surprise to everyone.

The oldest players to win NBA Player of the Month

Aside from becoming the first player to score 50,000 points between the regular season and the playoffs, LeBron James achieved another feat on Tuesday by becoming the oldest player to win Player of the Month, besting the previous record set by Karl …

Aside from becoming the first player to score 50,000 points between the regular season and the playoffs, LeBron James achieved another feat on Tuesday by becoming the oldest player to win Player of the Month, besting the previous record set by Karl Malone back in 2000. All in all, the 21-time All-Star has earned the award on 41 occasions, more than doubling Kobe Bryant‘s 17.

See the 20 oldest winners below:

All the times the NBA’s top scorers were not the scoring champions

HoopsHype presents every season in NBA history in which that year’s top scorer by total points scored was not the scoring champion.

Last season, the NBA set a minimum of at least 65 games played for players to be eligible for individual postseason awards in an effort to curb load management. The early returns were promising, too. So why stop there? Historically, the scoring champion has been decided by a player’s points-per-game average. But what if we changed that to total points scored?

Today, we’re going to take a look at the seasons in which the NBA’s top scorers (judged by total points scored) were not the scoring champions because they didn’t have a high enough points-per-game average.

There have been several such instances in NBA history, as long ago as 1969-70 and as recently as 2022-23.

Crazily enough, Kobe Bryant’s legacy would be even more impressive had scoring champions been decided by total points scored. Bryant had two scoring championships in his career, one in ’06 and one in ’07. But in 2002-03, he scored 54 more total points than Tracy McGrady but lost the scoring title due to scoring average. And in 2007-08, Bryant outscored the scoring champion, LeBron James, by 73 total points, but again lost the title due to his lower average.

This change would have given Bryant a ridiculous four scoring titles in his career, tying him with Kevin Durant and George Gervin for the third-most ever.

For what it’s worth, although James would have lost the ’08 scoring title to Bryant if it were judged by total points, he was actually the total points scored champion in 2017-18 over James Harden, so he would still have one scoring title in his career in this scenario.

Oh, and if we were handing out scoring titles by total points scored, His Airness, Michael Jordan, would have 11 scoring titles instead of 10, because in 1984-85, he actually scored 504 more points than Bernard King, the year’s scoring champion by points average.

Not too shabby.

Below, check out the years where the NBA’s top scorers by total points were not scoring champions.

WATCH: Eagles QB is the face of Jordan Brand with ‘Love Hurts’ commercial celebrating first Super Bowl

Jordan Brand celebrates Jalen Hurts’ Super Bowl win with the ‘Love Hurts’ ad following 40-22 win over Chiefs in Super Bowl 59

Jalen Hurts wore Air Jordan 1 Retro High ’85 ‘Banned’ cleats in Super Bowl 59, and the fine was worth it after the Eagles quaterback was named MVP.

With Hurts now the face of Jordan Brand’s football division, Nike celebrated with a commerical titled ‘Love Hurts’ paying homage to the Super Bowl champion.

Hurts was 17 of 22 passing for 221 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and a 119.7 passer rating.
Hurts led the Eagles with a Super Bowl record of 11 carries for 72 yards and one rushing touchdown.

Jalen Hurts will be fined for wearing cleats that aren’t official team color and Nike loves it

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is wearing a pair of Air Jordan 1 Retro High ’85 OG ‘Bred Banned’ cleats in Super Bowl 59 and Nike welcomes the fine

Jalen Hurts is one of Jordan Brand’s new faces, and nothing puts you squarely in the spotlight like a Super Bowl appearance. Nike is all about big business, and with hundreds of millions set to watch this game, the Swoosh and Jordan Brand are banking on the Eagles quarterback drawing negative attention that turns into a lucrative positive.

Playing off the NBA’s response to Michael Jordan almost 40 years ago and Hurts mismatch cleats scenario earlier this season, the Eagles star quarterback wore a pair of Air Jordan Retro High ’85 ‘Bred Banned’ cleats for Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome.

Hurts is expected to be fined again for his attire, and Nike and Jordan Brand support this.

Earlier in the season, Hurts turned heads when he was forced to wear one white Jordan and another Green Jordan cleat after having his foot stepped on and not wanting to miss a play.

40 Years Apart: Jalen Hurts receives a “banned” letter from the NFL after wearing Air Jordans and violating the league’s uniform policy. He will be fined $5,628.

“We’re paying the fine,” Jordan Brand tells me. “You can’t ban greatness.”

Forty years ago, Nike paid Michael Jordan’s fine for not wearing a specific white or black colorway that the NBA enforced at the time.

Jalen Hurts is wearing Air Jordan 1 Retro High ’85 ‘Banned’ cleats in Super Bowl 59

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is wearing a pair of Air Jordan 1 Retro High ’85 OG ‘Bred Banned’ cleats in Super Bowl 59 vs. the Chiefs

Jalen Hurts is one of the new faces of Jordan Brand, and nothing puts you squarely in the spotlight like a Super Bowl appearance. Playing off the NBA’s response to Michael Jordan almost 40 years ago and Hurts mismatch cleats scenario earlier this season, the Eagles star quarterback wore a pair of Air Jordan Retro High ’85 ‘Bred Banned’ cleats for Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome.

Earlier in the season, Hurts turned heads when he was forced to wear one white Jordan and another Green Jordan cleat after having his foot stepped on and not wanting to miss a play.

40 Years Apart: Jalen Hurts receives a “banned” letter from the NFL after wearing Air Jordans and violating the league’s uniform policy. He will be fined $5,628.

“We’re paying the fine,” Jordan Brand tells me. “You can’t ban greatness.”

Forty years ago, Nike paid Michael Jordan’s fine for not wearing a specific white or black colorway that the NBA enforced at the time.

On Player of the Week awards, LeBron James is the GOAT by far

Since Julius Erving won the first NBA Player of the Week award back in 1979, many basketball greats have collected a huge number of weekly accolades from the league. But really, it’s not that close at No. 1. In his 22 seasons as a pro, LeBron James …

Since Julius Erving won the first NBA Player of the Week award back in 1979, many basketball greats have collected a huge number of weekly accolades from the league. But really, it’s not that close at No. 1.

In his 22 seasons as a pro, LeBron James has won the award an NBA record 69 times – which is more than No. 2 and No. 3 in the list combined. The league started naming one Player of the Week for each conference in 2001-02, which helps LeBron here. Then again, his numbers are staggering.

You can check the full ranking below…