New on Sports Illustrated: LeBron Could Handle Bad Boy Pistons: Unchecked

Michael Jordan struggled with the Bad Boy Pistons before winning. Which led to many asking, how would LeBron James do against them?

Breaking news: Michael Jordan did in fact lose and proved if you are going to do so, it’s better to lose before the NBA Finals than in them. 

Now to MJ’s credit once he got the right support system around him from

the triangle and Phil Jackson to Scottie Pippen and later Dennis Rodman, all he did was win as chronicled in "The Last Dance". But before that was the Bad Boy Pistons. Which led to the inevitable question, how would LeBron James do against them? Well, let’s ask Bad Boy Piston himself Bill Laimbeer…

Now it’s easy to say Laimbeer hates Jordan, which may be true, but what you can’t say is that he’s bitter from losing since he went 3-1 against him in that stretch. And as for those who declaring those days would be too physical for James—LeBron is bigger than Laimbeer. You think they’d throw him around if he had a head of steam and his shoulder lowered? Not to mention LeBron wouldn’t have a barrage of threes to compete with on the other end.

To proclaim that era's superiority is disrespect to the greats James has defeated: Tim Duncan’s Spurs, the Celtics big three, Chauncey Billups and the Pistons, the Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook/James Harden Thunder and the 73-9 Warriors say hello.

And just like with Jordan, there were rules to defending LeBron. Give him space and let him shoot. Eventually like in MJ’s case, they didn’t work. Greatness finds a way.

So anyone saying LeBron James would struggle because of a damn hand check, needs to be checked.