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Poor LeBron James doesn’t want to understand why people root against him. By joining the Miami Heat and leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers, he left behind a struggling city to join a team stacked with talent.

Michael Jordan could have easily joined his buddies, Patrick Ewing in New York or Charles Barkley in Philadelphia to increase his championship chances, but he stayed in Chicago to play with less talented teammates until they were a championship caliber team.

When Chicago faced tough teams like the Celtics and the Pistons, Jordan didn’t give up, even when he lost. Despite the fact that the Celtics had a way more talented team that swept the Bulls, no one ever accused Jordan of quitting, like LeBron was accused of last year against the Celtics or this year against the Mavericks.

It took Jordan three playoff series to get through the Detroit Pistons “Bad Boy” teams of the late 80s. Despite the infamous “Jordan Rules,” which consisted of ruthless fouling and double teaming, Jordan never gave up, finally exacting revenge on the Pistons and winning three straight NBA Championships.

But why will LeBron never be able to reach Jordan status?

Competitive spirit.

Michael Jordan’s competitive spirit is what separates him from the rest of the basketball landscape, past and present. Skill-wise, LeBron may be better than Jordan. He is stronger, bigger, and a better rebounder and passer. Still, Jordan is a better clutch player than LeBron ever was or could be. He would always rise to the occasion, while LeBron seems to shy away from them.

James was touted as the next big thing in basketball since he was 12-years-old. Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team as a sophomore. While LeBron skipped college and was always the best player on his team, Jordan played three years at the University of North Carolina; his first being the third best player, behind James Worthy and Sam Perkins. By playing in college, Jordan got his first real experience as a clutch player, hitting the game winning shot in the NCAA Finals.

LeBron went to the NBA right after high school, being deemed the savior of basketball. Jordan was drafted with the number three pick and nobody expected him to be as good as he was. He stuck with his team and made his teammates better. LeBron abandoned them and his former teammates and city loathe him.

While LeBron has a chance to improve his skills, he is too stuck with his personality. By abandoning his team, he showed his true colors. Someone who would rather take a short cut to win an NBA Championship than dedicate himself to bringing a championship to the state that raised and drafted him.

Jordan will go down as a hero in basketball history, while LeBron, even if he manages to win an NBA championship will go down as a villain. When LeBron left the Cavs they had the best record in the league. The next year they had the worst. It wasn’t his team’s fault that they lost to the Celtics, it was his. LeBron quit in that series and then quit on his team.

The three All-Stars (two starters) on the Heat couldn’t beat the one All-Star (on the bench) on the Mavericks; and like against the Celtics, LeBron was the reason they lost. So I’m sorry LeBron, I watched Michael Jordan, I’m a fan of Michael Jordan and quite frankly, you’re no Michael Jordan and never will be.

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