Michael Jordan is the greatest...Period

I know, I know, many debates rage over the topic of "Who is the greatest basketball player of all time"? And I am going to tell you why it's Michael Jordan. You don't have to agree, but I'm right. Okay, rings aside, MVP's aside, and stats aside (What...no stats you say...WTF?) Michael Jordan is the greatest of all time, period. The easiest answer to the argument is that no matter who you are talking about, Kobe, Lebron, etc. they all ALWAYS get compared to who? That's right, Michael Jordan. You don't have to like him as a person, but you have to respect him as a player. If you're a fan of the game, and yes, I will even allow that there are Lakers fans who are actual fans of the game and can take of their We Love Kobe glasses for 5 minutes, the one thing that escapes people who make arguments to the contrary is that Michael Jordan changed the way the game is played. Kobe and Lebron emulate HIM. Maybe they can do it better and faster now, but it's because of Michael that they play the way they do. Sure, there are a lot of old school players who you can say changed the game as well, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, heck I'll even give some props to Magic Johnson. But, you cannot point to another single player who has influenced so many that came after him. From the fade-aways, to the tongue hanging out, everybody wanted to be "like Mike". For me personally, what makes Michael Jordan the greatest, is that he elevated the game of everyone around him. Who would have ever heard of Scottie Pippen, John Paxson, or  Bill Cartwright if it wasn't for Michael Jordan? He may have been an asshole about it, but he demanded the best from every one of his teammates because he demanded the same of himself. Why do all of the new players that come into the league want to wear #23? Why does Kobe want to win 6 championships? The answer is always the same. To equal, resemble or attempt to surpass the greatness of Michael Jordan. He is the bar setter. I am not lessening the accomplishments or skills of any of the talented players that have come after him. I am certainly not saying that there won't be players that may surpass his skill level, number of all star appearances, number of championship rings, or even number of MVP's. What I am saying is that there will never be another Michael Jordan. Period.The man took the NBA and the game of basketball to a level that has yet to be equaled. The game changed because of his talent. There are always going to be the Kobe lovers who will stand and tell you that Kobe is better. Does it better, faster and has almost as many championships. I am not saying that Kobe is not a good player, maybe even better at this age than Michael was, but he's not the greatest. Lebron? Sure, he's a good player, again, maybe even better than Michael at his age, but he has a long way to go to even be mentioned in the same breath. And it's not because he hasn't won as many championships or even because he hasn't been around as long, it's because he doesn't have it. What is it? It is the thing that makes Michael the greatest. The ability to make others want to play better, the ability to lift the game to a whole other level, the ability to do what needs to be done in order to win. It doesn't make him a better or even nicer person, it just makes him the greatest player ever. You can argue from here until the next conversation on ESPN erupts about the topic, but it won't matter, Michael Jordan is the greatest. The mere fact that every "hater" of Michael Jordan still compares their favorite player to him is proof enough that he's the greatest. I don't hear anyone comparing people in the league to Kobe or Lebron or anyone else. Maybe their time will come, but even then, they won't be the greatest of all time. And it's time to admit that if you don't now, you have in past owned a number 23 jersey, worn a pair of air Jordan's or cheered for the Tarheels or Bulls. Admit it, deep down, you know he's the greatest. So, instead of hating on or comparing to Michael, Kobe and the like should do what is owed, what is required, just say "Thank You" and move on.
Besides who else could hold their own co-starring with Bugs and Daffy?