CBS analyst Tony Romo is comparing the Feb. 7 Super Bowl quarterback battle between Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes to a hypothetical NBA Finals matchup between Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
“Talk about your all-time matchups. This is literally going to be like LeBron and Jordan playing in the Finals.”
Tony Romo on Patrick Mahomes vs. Tom Brady in the Super Bowl. pic.twitter.com/ZufAZQQKhE
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 25, 2021
Jordan and James never faced each other on the court, with the Hall of Famer ending his legendary career in 2003, the season before James began his own iconic tenure in the league.
When it comes to Jordan, he’s considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time, a designation that some have applied to Brady when it comes to football.
James is currently in his 18th season and has helped three different teams win a total of four NBA titles while appearing in 10 different finals. For eight consecutive years from 2011 to 2018, a James-led team appeared in the finals.
While some critics have challenged the idea of James replacing Jordan as the greatest basketball player ever, the overall numbers offer a good deal of support on James’ behalf.
For the football side of this comparison, Brady is in his 21st NFL season and will be competing in his 10th Super Bowl, having won six Super Bowl rings. That strong postseason legacy is similar to Jordan’s memorable run of playing in and helping the Chicago Bulls win six NBA Finals.
In the case of Mahomes, he’s only in his fourth NFL season with the Kansas City Chiefs but will be playing in his second consecutive Super Bowl. He was named Super Bowl MVP last year, one year after he was awarded the league MVP award.
While Mahomes’ relative youth may stretch Romo’s comparison, his performance on the field thus far currently has him on pace to one day be in the conversation for greatest football player ever.
Romo may be accused of offering hyperbole about the matchup, considering that he will be part of the CBS Super Bowl broadcast. Yet. the game itself will have some history attached outside of the quarterback matchup: The contest will mark the first time that a team (Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers) will play the Super Bowl on their home field.
