Since Thursday night's Heat-Spurs Game 1 ended, we've been treated to hours of people waxing poetic on LeBron's leg cramps, and how much better of an athlete Michael Jordan is, because -- if you haven't heard -- he played a game with the flu.
Stop.
MORE: Jonathan Martin calls out LeBron for cramps | Brandon Jennings scoffs at James -- from his couch
Just stop with that ridiculousness.
Because here's a newsflash that's actually a blast from the past: Jordan had to come out of a game with leg cramps too.
From a Sports Illustrated article originally published on March 27, 1995, in which a 32-year-old Jordan had just re-declared his love for the game, ending his year-and-a-half-long retirement:
"But on Sunday, before the first quarter had ended, the 32-year-old Jordan was bending over and tugging on his shorts, the universal symbol for fatigue, and in the overtime he developed leg cramps. Asked if he was disappointed that he didn't get a chance to dunk, Jordan replied, "I was cramping so bad I didn't really want to."
A muscle cramp is an involuntary, intensely painful and often spastic muscle contraction. It doesn't have anything to do with your level of conditioning or lack thereof. You can even get a leg cramp while you're sleeping.
Some studies say it could possibly be linked to dehydration . Others don't .
It generally feels like the quivering muscle seized by the response is being ripped apart from the muscle's core.
James reportedly needed two-and-a-half IV bags after the game to stop the muscles from seizing.
But either way, your argument that Michael Jordan is a better player because he played through the flu is irrelevant.
It would be virtually impossible to play through a muscle cramp because it's an involuntary, uncontrollable response from the body.
And it's one that plagued both superstars.
Carry on.