SHOCKING NEWS: Gilbert Arenas: Michael Jordan Did Not Play Against Any Of The Top 5 SG’s In History what a… Read More

Gilbert Arenas has played down the level of competition that Michael Jordan went up against at the two-guard position in his career. On the latest episode of Gil’s Arena, Arenas was discussing Anthony Edwards’ infamous comments about Jordan being the only skilled player of his era, when he pointed out that the Chicago Bulls icon didn’t have to face any of the top five shooting guards in history in their prime.

“If we really want to have this discussion about Jordan’s competition, just go this, top five shooting guards in history, he didn’t play against any of them in their prime,” Arenas said. “Kobe’s two, but he had a young Kobe in ’98. Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade, James Harden, T-Mac (Tracy McGrady), Vince (Carter)… Jordan didn’t face these guys. History is showing you who’s who now because time has went by.”

I think it’s fair to say Jordan didn’t play any of the top five when they were in their prime. We ranked the five greatest shooting guards in NBA history by decade and the best one he came up against in their prime was undoubtedly Clyde Drexler.

Now, some would argue Drexler is top five all-time, but I think he just misses out. I would have Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, James Harden, and Allen Iverson in there. If you don’t consider Iverson to be a shooting guard, I think Jerry West would be the one who takes that spot.

Jordan did face Bryant and Iverson from that group, but neither of those two was anywhere near their prime at that point. When he retired for the second time in 1998, Kobe had made one All-Star team (averaged just 15.4 PPG that season) while Iverson was yet to even make one.

Still, though, does that diminish what Jordan accomplished in his career? Certainly not. He went up against some of the greatest big men and point guards the game has ever seen, Shaquille O’Neal, Karl Malone, Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson, and John Stockton, and came away from his playoff battles with them with six championships.