What would Basketball Be Like Without Mike.

There have been many prominent figures in the sports world that end up being the first name that comes to mind when one thinks of a particular sport. 

When one thinks of great names in football, many can argue that the first name that comes to mind are names like Tom Brady or Joe Montana. With baseball, names such as Babe Ruth, Ken Griffey Jr, Roberto Clemente and Hank Aaron come to mind. 

While there are many names that you can attribute to basketball, there is no question that Michael Jordan is the first name that comes to mind when you think of basketball. He was the biggest reason why basketball achieved mainstream success domestically as well as internationally. He's definitely the first name that you'll see on most basketball backpacks. It almost leaves one to ask: What would basketball be like without Mike? 

We will explore this scenario in this piece. 

There is no question that the history of basketball would be significantly altered in a world without Michael Jordan. 

Before Michael Jordan became the predominant name in the NBA, it was Magic Johnson and Larry Bird that were at the forefront of the league due to the fierce Celtics/Lakers rivalry in the 80s. Without Jordan, another great player would have to become the face of the league. Maybe that player could have been an Isiah Thomas, Charles Barkley or Karl Malone. 

If Jordan never existed, I believe that the "Bad Boys" Detroit Pistons would have been a dynasty. After all, it was Jordan and the Bulls that ended their run. The Pistons would have three-peated if Jordan didn't exist. 

Additionally, Charles Barkley and Karl Malone would have actually won a championship in their career because Jordan wouldn't be there to stop them. 

The Seattle Supersonics would have won their first championship if Jordan and the Bulls didn't stop them. Maybe the franchise would still be in Seattle today. 

In a world without Jordan, the Dream Team would have had Isiah Thomas as a player. It was a subject of major controversy when Isiah wasn't part of the original "Dream Team". Thar controversy would not exist in a world without Jordan. 

If Jordan did not exist, Nike would take a huge hit because there would be no Jordan sneakers! The cultural influence that the Air Jordans brought along would have been lost. The Nike brand would not have gotten on the map so quickly and the sneaker industry would have not grown as

quickly as it did. You may not be seeing a Nike basketball backpacks sold in stores in a world without Jordan.