Michael Jordan “Cheated Everyday” Claim From Ex-Camp Teammate Earns Big Magic Johnson Comparison

"I feel like the difference between Mike and Kobe and LeBron. LeBron likes winning. Michael Jordan likes beating people. He (Michael Jordan) wants to beat people. He is a sociopath." Bomani Jones on Arenas' crew podcast, cited the clear reason why MJ was better at one-on-one than LeBron James. And the other members took it forward and explained just how 'His Airness' used his domination, which might not all be legal and how Magic Johnson too became a part of the conversation.

"Mike despises losing. So he wants to win at all costs. Like he's going to beat you at no matter what." Kenyon Martin added on the podcast. Even Gilbert Arenas agreed, "The fact that he would cheat, cheated everyday." Martin continued, "Yeah. Game on the line of like they're not going to give you an upper hand no matter what. Right?" That's when the conversation took an interesting turn.

The host and executive producer of Gil's Arena said, "Magic the same way, though." To which Arenas replied, "I mean he was just cheating, you know, but he wasn't a one-on-one." Maybe the former Wizards star doesn't consider Magic Johnson a 1v1 player because of the all-around ability like LeBron James.

Previously, in the same podcast, Arenas asked another fellow member of the podcast to name one player before Michael Jordan who was "the one-on-one king then?" Rashad McCants did have an answer to the curveball question, and he had no problem placing MJ on a pedestal.

"There wasn't one. It was just, no one claimed king. That's why Mike was able to just step right into that mode." Although the Arenas Crew felt confident about Michael Jordan being the best 1v1 player, there was a time when we could have found out if it was true. The 6x NBA Champion was ready to battle it out against the Lakers legend.

Michael Jordan could have been 'The King of the Court' In 1990, before Michael Jordan began his Bulls dynasty run, there was an interesting offer from Magic Johnson. 'The King of the Court' was being marketed as the must-see battle. Magic Johnson spoke to The Los Angeles Times in January 1990, "I came up with the idea. We came up with what we wanted to do, and my people contacted Michael's people, and we decided to go ahead with it."

It would have been two 15-minute half games, where both the legends would have showcased their one-on-one ability. Plus there were reports that the winner would take home the grand prize of $1 million. Even though Michael Jordan was all in on the project, he had a few doubts that eventually proved to be hurdles.

"My concern was that, from the public point of view, it was more or less, 'They're just playing to get a lot of money.' I didn't want that image to be taken out of context. It would be fun to play Magic one-on-one. I wouldn't mind doing it." The Bulls legend continued, "I wouldn't mind doing it. That's something I grew up doing, playing one of the best players in a one-on-one game. It would be fun to do now. But there is so much confusion involved because of the situation being more of a business proposition."

Eventually, the whole idea did not see the light of day, as the league's lawyer at the time explained the issue with the concept. "We're not interested in seeing our players being promoted like fighters in Las Vegas." Gary Bettman's words proved to be the final verdict, and we never saw Michael Jordan vs Magic Johnson. Both of them were at their peak, which could have put an end to the current 1v1 debate.

"Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the "Dual Threat Show" as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger."