Now I know when I see greatness

I was only a kid when Michael Jordan 3-peated. Even younger the first time he did that. I just sat there mad that the Houston Rockets were eliminated from the playoffs by Shawn Kemp, Gary Peyton and the  Seatle SuperSoincs. Thats right, I jumped the bandwagon. I'm from the south. Not just any south, the kind of south where a quick walk could land you in Mexico. South Texas was San Antonio Spurs territory, but with my relocation to Houston, I couldn't help but get into Hakeem the Dream and winning back to back championships. I was in love with a team that featured a large African man that could definitely kill it in Dancing With the Stars if it were on back then. So when I was seeing MJ just man handle the Jazz, of course only one thing came to mind: overrated. I stand here now in my mid 20's just realizing that I was a witness to the greatness that has become MJ. I'm not a Chicago Bulls fan. I can't even claim I cheered them on. Ok maybe I did, but not because i jumped the MJ bandwagon; I just couldn't stand Malone and Stockton. Malone was an enigma to me because when I would see him in his grotesque Utah uniform he looked like a balding and and out of shape man, but when he would go on the Tonight Show, he was a tall, thin guy who looked like the a typical pro. Then again if i stood next to Jay Leno, I'd probably look like that too... The Leno Effect. It's when average looking people instantly look better because they stand next to Jay. But back to my main point. There will never be another MJ. Even when you describe great people of other sports you call him the MJ of it. Tiger is the MJ of golf. Brady is the MJ of football,(I'm a Cowboy's fan but even I can admit when I see a good QB),  Federer is the MJ of tennis, and I don't care that Nadal beat him on grass, Federer completely dominates. Sampras and Agasi didn't entertain me as much as Federer and Nadal. But the point I'm trying to make is MJ is the MJ of MJ. If that makes sense. Everything he did was like a last minute 3 to win the game. Remember Space Jam. 230,000,000. That's how much money that movie made. Ray Allen couldn't even produce those numbers in He Got Game and he had Denzel Washington as a supporting actor, and Spike Lee as director. I'm pretty sure the Academy of Motion Pictures was scrambling to make a new Oscar category: Best MVP performance. MJ would have won it that year(Brandon Fraiser would have won this award too for his basketball scene in Bedazzled). So whats the lesson? Ray Allen plus Denzel, plus Spike Lee Joint is less than MJ, Bugs Bunny, Taz and a whole mess of alien animation. Its and actual equation they teach in any college level Statistics course. 

I've learned my lesson. Now I look for greatness. I don't want to let it pass me up again, or be bitter that my team didn't make it. It's why I can look at Kobe, Lebron, and Dwight Howard and see that's the next big thing. It's what makes me appreciate that i saw Tim Duncan, David Robinson and Chauncey Billups on the same court at one point in my life. (1999 San Antonio Spurs versus Denver Nuggets, SA won) It's why I can look at my Blackberry and know it will never fail me(my Sidekick did). It's why I point out that Sporty Spice was the dominant singer in the Spice Girls while watching Spice World for the second time(speaking of Spice World, it just bothers me that they took their pregnant friend to a night club). Greatness will not pass me up again. I won't let it.