"The Power of the O.G."

"I coulda backed these boyz off of LeBron but I didn't want to!"

Growing up in the hood was a great experience because more than anything you learned at an early age how to treat people. You couldn't mistreat folks in any way and think that you were going to get away with it. Most of the time you couldn't even talk crazy to some one's younger brother or sister without some older brother, cousin or uncle catching you at the monkey bars later the same day to check you or to give you that life altering beat down. As you got older it worked the same way in the street as the O.G.'s began to pass the torch in the hood to the 1st Lieutenant's that were next in line to run the streets. Whether they were ready for the title or not it was the O.G. that gave them the nod. Once the nod was given the respect was given! 

Well...it works the same way in the world of sports. Let's keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! Michael Jordan is the G.O.A.T. or the O.G. in hood terms. Mike has had the power to back boyz off of LeBron for two years but in classic Jordan form he never said a word. The very player that LeBron is constantly compared to has never once said, "Listen people, LeBron is a great young player. He's accomplished things in his career like win 3 MVP's, go to Finals and compete for titles that I was never able to do at that age. Sure, he has a long way to go but he's probably one of the greatest players that we've ever seen or will ever see. So I think ya'll need to pull a Gin & Juice and back up off of him and sit yo cup down. That's my guy!" If Jordan had just done that people would have chilled on all of the hate because the G.O.A.T. had spoken. The O.G. had given the nod. He had given his approval! 

That would have given all of the haters that have been saying that he's not a great player because he doesn't have 6 rings like Jordan at the very least some perspective. MJ knows that there was a time in his career when he didn't have any rings either and was constantly compared to Magic & Bird's success. So to sit in the cut and let this kid get blasted every day of his life for the past two years was selfish on Jordan's part, in my opinion. Especially when he knew that he had the power to stop it. 

However, he's the same guy that I've been saying for years was a jerk and a selfish individual that cares about nothing but Michael Jordan. I've written Hot Joints on the subject. The first entitled "I've Got No Respect For Jordan" and the second entitled "No Respect For Jordan Part II" explaining to folks how Jordan has never used his power of influence to do anything but further HIS career and sell HIS shoes. If you don't believe me check out his"Hall of Fame Speech". This guy is the biggest jerk in sports. My man Dieon Sanders said in his now famous Hall of Fame speech, "If your dream isn't bigger than you then there's something wrong with your dream!"

Mike had the power to give LeBron room to develop not only as a player but as person just by giving him the nod. But Jordan wants to be the G.O.A..T. forever like he doesn't understand that records are meant to be broken and that the game has to evolve and that evolution is built off of the past. At some point some kid is going to be better than he was whether it's LeBron or some cat in 3rd grade putting in work now.  He is now the history of the game and players like Durant, Rose, Westbrook and LeBron are it's future.  

The legends of the game are typically the caretakers of it. They always protect the new breed of players or chastise them for the mistakes that they've made along the way. You always heard Bill Russell giving Shaq praise for the way he played the game. Magic is always giving love to players around the league even when he isn't on ESPN. Barkley will give players their props and back you off of a guy in a minute like an O.G. is supposed to but not Jordan though! 

He has all of the of the power and never uses it. It doesn't matter what Russell, Barkley, Magic or Pippen says. If Jordan doesn't speak it doesn't exist because he's the G.O.A.T., the O.G.! Last year when Scottie made the comment that he thought LeBron was better than Jordan. There was some credence to what he said. In the sense of LeBron being better at a younger age compared to Jordan at the same age. It's the same argument that I keep making about LeBron at 26 or 27 and Jordan at that same age!  But if Jordan would have said, "He's on his way at age 26 and looking back at my career at 26, I think he is." Whether he really believed it or not would have been the uncle coming to the monkey bars to protect the development of a young cat on the come up and telling boyz to back up!

Magic did the same thing back in February when Kobe surpassed Shaq on the All-Time scoring list to become 5th. Magic went on to say that Kobe was the greatest Laker of all-time and in my Ochocinco voice I said, "Child Please!" Magic was just being Magic and being humble! But I give him props for saying it because he knows that he's a legend and by saying it doesn't take anything away from HIS legend. Mike would never do such a thing because he's a straight up buster as a person but he's still the G.O.A.T. Until the O.G. gives the Nod the hood will never respect you! 

The fact that Mike is the O.G. it's his duty to protect the young guys coming up after him. When he sees them being mistreated he's got to say that he doesn't agree with it. Along those same lines he's got to check the players when they step out of line because he's the G.O.A.T. and the caretaker of the game! There's no getting around it bruh! Sports and the streets operate by the same set of rules whether you believe it or not!

Holla At Ya Boy! 
Jay Graves
Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport