Laimbeer: LeBron 'can do more' than Jordan

The Bad Boys-Chicago Bulls rivalry will never die.

Former Detroit Pistons center Bill Laimbeer went on the "Dan Patrick Show" this morning and was asked to pick between LeBron James and Michael Jordan in their primes.

Laimbeer went with James, who will be making his fifth straight appearance in the NBA Finals, this time with the injury-riddled Cleveland Cavaliers.

"There's no question I would take LeBron," Laimbeer said. "He can do more.

"I mean, Michael Jordan could score, make big shots and look spectacular at times with wild, flying dunks, but LeBron can get you 18 rebounds. LeBron can get you 15 assists, if he chooses to, or he can score 50 if he wanted to. The triple threat that he poses is just phenomenal, and then the size that he's got, he just physically dominates. It's impressive. …

"Look at what LeBron has in the Finals right now. … Anybody else in this league or anybody else in the world, could they have led the team he has around him right now to the Finals? I don't think so. Jordan couldn't have led this team to the Finals. …

"LeBron came into the league knowing how to play basketball and involve his teammates. Jordan had to learn that, and then they had to assemble some great teammates around him in order for him to win."

The James-MJ debate is one of the hottest in sports. A recent poll said 34% of basketball fans think that Jordan, 52, could beat James, 30, in a game of one-on-one right now.

Yeah, right.

But Laimbeer's response shouldn't be surprising. There was much disdain between the Pistons and Bulls in his day. The Pistons eliminated the Bulls from the playoffs in three straights seasons -- 1988-90 -- before the Bulls swept the Pistons in the 1991 Eastern Conference finals.

Feeling that Jordan had disrespected the franchise, the Pistons famously walked off of the floor in Game 4 with most of the team declining to shake the Bulls' hands.

Contact Vince Ellis at vellis@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @vincent_ellis56.