Jordan left the NBA voluntarily in 1994 and essentially missed two seasons. He then retired in 1998 despite still being at the height of his powers. When he returned in 2001 he was clearly too old.
But that’s 4-5 prime seasons that Jordan threw away on his own volition. The fact that he doesn’t lead the NBA in longevity stats like playoff wins, championships, points, etc. was his own choice. He “could have won 10” but 6 is definitely not 10. I loved watching Jordan growing up, and he was a generational player, but his resume has flaws.
He never carried a subpar supporting cast to a title. Every one of his titles was with a head coach who later won 5 titles with the Lakers, and Scottie Pippen, a perennial all-star/ all-NBA player. Rodman, Kukoc, Kerr, Grant...these Bulls teams were no joke with their depth and well rounded was. This team won 55 games without him in 1994, so where is the “Matt Cassel” angle here?
Before having that perfect situation with Jackson, Pippen, and an relatively underwhelming group of Finals opponents, Jordan couldn’t carry the team past other Eastern Conference contenders like the Celtics and Pistons. After their second three-peat, with the prospect of a rebuild, he bailed.
So all Jordan proved to me is that he can play at total GOAT level with an ideal surrounding cast and coach. He left the NBA twice saying he had “nothing else to prove” but I disagree. The book is too short on him...not enough different phases and challenges in his career, like Brady, Ali, or Ruth.