To many fans who have followed the NBA, Michael Jordan is still viewed as the clear greatest basketball player ever. It’s a reputation that Air Jordan has carried ever since his dominance throughout the 1990s, even with legendary names like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James entering the conversation.

Jordan’s obsession with winning, combined with his demand for excellence, created a standard very few players have ever reached. The GOAT debate has lasted for decades, but Jordan’s championships, accolades, and individual brilliance continue to make him the benchmark for greatness.

Because of his competitive mindset and confidence, Jordan rarely appeared to believe anyone operated on his level. That mentality became part of the aura that surrounded him throughout his career.

Michael Jordan Once Acknowledged an NBA Equal

According to former Chicago Bulls teammate Craig Hodges, Jordan privately admitted there was another NBA player talented enough to be considered on par with him, though, he also believed there was one key difference separating them in the public eye.

“Not every great athlete is marketable like that, and they have just as much talent.

Jordan’s comments suggest Drexler never fully embraced the business side of being an NBA superstar during the late 1980s and early 1990s. As basketball exploded in popularity across the United States, elite players became global celebrities whose faces appeared everywhere, from commercials to magazine covers.

Jordan helped pioneer that movement by partnering with Nike and transforming himself into a worldwide brand. His rise off the court only amplified the attention surrounding his performances on it.

If Drexler had leaned more into the commercial opportunities surrounding the NBA at the time, he may have enjoyed a similar level of fame to Jordan. Whether the iconic Portland Trail Blazers guard even wanted that spotlight is another discussion entirely, but by the mid-1990s, Jordan’s brand had become larger than basketball itself.

MJ’s Pick Remains One of NBA’s Most Overlooked Legends

Widely regarded as one of the best shooting guards in NBA history, Drexler’s legacy will always be connected to Jordan’s. Both players dominated the backcourt during their era, but the latter’s championships and overwhelming media attention often pushed the former’s achievements into the background.

Drexler possessed a similar level of athleticism and explosiveness to Jordan, while also being an elite scorer in transition and in the half court. His smooth style of play earned him the nickname ‘Clyde the Glide’, and he was later selected for the legendary 1992 USA Olympic squad, famously known as ‘The Dream Team.’

In The Last Dance documentary, the Bulls icon discussed his rivalry with Drexler, saying in classic Jordan fashion: “Clyde was a threat. I’m not saying he wasn’t a threat. But me being compared to him, I took offence to that.”

Despite becoming a 10-time All-Star, Drexler’s position as a shooting guard during Jordan’s era limited his opportunities for more All-NBA First Team selections, with only one making its way onto his resume. Still, he captured an NBA championship with the Houston Rockets and finished his career averaging more than 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game.

Considering everything he accomplished, Drexler has a strong case to be viewed as one of the most underrated stars in NBA history. Among dedicated basketball fans, however, his impact and greatness continue to receive the respect they deserve.

Sir Alex Ferguson is the most successful manager of all time. In almost 27 years spent in charge of Manchester United, the Scotsman delivered 38 trophies to Old Trafford. Among them are a record 13 Premier League titles, alongside two Champions League crowns, five FA Cups, with one of each forming part of the iconic 1999 treble.

To do all of that, he needed great players, and across three decades, he worked with some of the finest the sport has ever produced. Ferguson made a living out of coaxing the best from elite talents while making sure no individual ever felt bigger than the team.

You had the instinctive brilliance of Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke up front, and the relentless Wayne Rooney. Peter Schmeichel was arguably the finest goalkeeper the Premier League ever saw, and Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic’s partnership set records that may never be beaten.

Yet for all the extraordinary talent that passed through Old Trafford during his tenure, Ferguson himself has always been quite specific about how many of those players he would truly describe as world-class. His answer, perhaps surprisingly, is just four.

Alex Ferguson’s World-Class Four

Writing in his 2015 book, Ferguson was characteristically direct on the subject: “If you read the papers or listen to the television commentators, we seem to be awash with ‘world-class’ footballers,” he wrote.

Eric Cantona’s inclusion will surprise nobody. The Frenchman arrived at Old Trafford in 1992 and transformed the club almost overnight, bringing a belief and a swagger that had been missing for years. Cantona’s tenure at United was the shortest of the players on Ferguson’s list, spending only four and a half years at Old Trafford before his shock retirement in 1997.

Ronaldo’s inclusion is equally straightforward. The Portuguese arrived at United as a skinny, flashy teenager from Sporting Lisbon in 2003 and left six years later as arguably the best player on the planet. Under Ferguson’s guidance, he was transformed from a player of extraordinary raw talent into a complete and devastating goal machine.

Ronaldo won three Premier League titles, a Champions League, a Ballon d’Or, scoring 118 goals in 292 appearances for the club, and a manager who put him on the map. Ferguson rating Ronaldo alongside Lionel Messi as the only two truly ‘world-class’ players of their era is a view shared by almost every football fan on earth.

But it’s the two British names on Ferguson’s list that demand particular attention. Both Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, players who came through the club’s own academy, were also elevated by Ferguson to the same level as two of the greatest footballers the sport has ever seen.

Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs: Britain’s Best

Scholes is one of the greatest midfielders in Premier League history, and his career numbers reflect a player oozing consistency and quality. He made over 700 appearances for the club he supported as a boy, scoring more than 150 goals, a fantastic return for a player whose primary role was to sit deep and control the tempo. He was there for an incredible 11 of United’s 13 Premier League wins.

Giggs, who clocked up almost three decades of service at the Red Devils, was a constant across every era of Ferguson’s reign. The Welshman evolved and reinvented himself across multiple generations of United teams and won every trophy Ferguson claimed during the Premier League era. Giggs holds the record for the most appearances for club, with 963. It’s a record that won’t be broken any time soon.

For Ferguson to place both men in the same category as Messi and Ronaldo is a statement that carries enormous weight. Coming from a man who spent almost 30 years working alongside the very best, it’s perhaps the greatest compliment either player could ever receive.

Tottenham Hotspur are planning to ensure they are not in another relegation battle next season, and Roberto De Zerbi is eyeing a raid on his former club to make it happen.

The Lilywhites secured their survival with a win over Everton on the final day of the campaign, sending West Ham into the Championship and cementing the future of a number of top players at the club. But the manager is keen to strengthen the squad, and bring in players to suit his tactical needs.

The best way for him to do that quickly is to sign players he has worked with previously, and it has now emerged that the Italian is taking a close look at some former players ahead of the summer window.

Tottenham Eyeing Baleba Transfer Hijack

According to a report by Miguel Delaney, Tottenham are eyeing a move to sign Brighton midfield sensation Carlos Baleba this summer.

Baleba, who has been described as ‘world-class’, has been strongly linked with a move away from the AMEX Stadium this summer, with Man Utd understood to be strong suitors for his signature. In fact, it has been reported that Baleba already has a verbal agreement over a move to Old Trafford.

However, De Zerbi is hopeful of hijacking that move by entering the race for his former midfielder, and using his relationship with the player to convince him to move to north London instead.

The Cameroon international won’t be cheap, however, with Brighton understood to be demanding around £100m for his services, as they look to keep their squad strong following qualification for the Conference League next season.

Tottenham are prepared to back De Zerbi fully this summer, but there is an acceptance that it will be difficult for them to do that. However, De Zerbi views Baleba as one of ‘his players’, and feels there is a deal there than can be done.

Baleba Would Be Perfect Tottenham Addition

Tottenham were seriously lacking with their squad this season when it came to having the legs and fitness to stop opposing teams hurting them, and there aren’t many better at combating that problem than Baleba.

The 22-year-old is quick, strong, and has great for for growth, which makes him the absolutely perfect signing for what Spurs are looking to build going forward. But they face a huge ask convincing him to join.

Not only is the transfer fee likely to be huge, but Man Utd have an agreement in place and he has been desperate to make that switch since last year. If anyone can convince him to change it’s mind, it’s likely to be De Zerbi, but it won’t be easy.