| Well, Ida, it wasn't really quite so obvious with Jordan and Ruth.
Jordan was drafted 3rd overall, meaning that at least two teams thought he wasn't instantly going to be a super-duper star. (One of those picks, Hakeem Olajuwon, went on to a Hall of Fame-worthy career, so you can't really fault the Rockets there). Plus, he was drafted in 1985, but didn't win his first championship until 1991. Now that I think about it, people should take this into consideration when they look at Lebron's career tothis point...remember also that this year, LeBron's third in the pros, was Jordan's last year of college.
As for Babe Ruth, it wasn't until after the Red Sox traded him to the Yankees that he became the star he was.
So, although I agree with you that the level of competition may make it more difficult for an athlete to stand out among the best of his peers, I don't think that if somebody hasn't done it yet, they never will.
Also remember, that today's athletes have many more advertising and marketing opportunites than athletes of the past, so it will be easier for LeBron to make a global name for himself, since Jordan already laid the ground work.
It's a pretty complicated question. I mean, obviously athletes will continue to increase in overall skill, money, and commercial success, but it's still difficult to see people rising to that Jordan/Ruth/Gretzky level. I think there may also be a "glass ceiling" in place, whereno matter how good a basketball player is, people will always say "Well, he's no Jordan", and the same in baseball and hockey.
Damn, this is a complex issue... |