Michael Jordan was giving much love and praise to young buck LeBron James for leading the Cavaliers to victory over the Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals.
The Cavaliers advanced to the Finals for the first time in their 37-year history.
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"What just transpired was something I felt was needed for the league, was needed for Cleveland, was needed for LeBron," Jordan said in Monday editions of the Chicago Tribune.
James, 22, dominated Game 5 against the Pistons, scoring Cleveland's final 25 points in the victory.
Jordan, who won six NBA championships during his 13 seasons with the Chicago Bulls, said the next challenge for the fellow Black superstar is to achieve consistency.
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"Making 'The Leap' is where you do it every single night," Jordan said. "It's expected of you, and you do it. ... Not one game, not two games. It's consistent. Every defense comes in and they focus on you and you still impact the game. I think he's shown signs of that."
James took a "big step" forward in the series against the Pistons, but the NBA Finals against the Spurs will provide another huge test, Jordan said.
James was thrilled to learn of Jordan's approval. "Anytime you get praise from the guy who basically laid down all the stones for you to get here. I grew up idolizing his game and how he played the game of basketball. It was definitely great to hear."
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