Michael Jordan and LeBron James are two of the most revered names in all of sports history, but millions of basketball fans cannot resist comparing them to one another. The argument of whether or not LeBron can dethrone Jordan, who has been the gold standard of the sport over the last 30 years, as the greatest basketball player to ever live has heated up lately as James has entered the twilight years of his career. Both players have strong fan-bases, and to truly decide who is superior, many areas must be examined. Though things such as stats and awards won are extremely important, there are other factors that should be considered. This is not simply meant to decide which player would win in a 1v1. The goal is to determine the player that had the best NBA career in every aspect and more importantly... to figure out who is the greatest of all time.
Career Statistics
Statistics are a very important part of a player’s game since they show us how they perform in both regular season and playoff situations. Before looking at them, it is important to note that since LeBron is still in the league, his stats are likely to change as his career progresses, and some of them could possibly drop as he gets older.
Looking at the picture above, it is easy to see that Jordan was the better scorer of the two. They both have very similar field goal percentages (only 1-2 percent difference in percentage for both field goal and 3 point field goal). Jordan finished his career with as a more efficient free throw shooter at nearly 84%, while LeBron has shot 73% from the line in his career. On the contrary, LeBron is a statistically better passer and rebounder, as his court vision is some of the best the league has seen since John Stockton. LeBron does average almost one extra turnover per game than Jordan though. Jordan was also a much better defensive player. He averaged more steals, and although LeBron is taller and plays forward, they still average the same amount of blocks. Even though they both have their highlights statistically, the stats presented are in Jordan’s favor overall.
Awards and Success Rates
We’ll start with Jordan. Michael Jordan won 6 NBA championships in his career with 2 three-peats. He won the Finals MVP all 6 times and had never lost a finals series in his career. In 15 seasons, Jordan won 5 MVPs and was an All-Star 14 times. Out of his 11 All-NBA Team selections, he was chosen to the First Team 10 times. He won the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season and appeared in the playoffs 13 times. In his 9 All-Defensive Team selections, Jordan was put on the First Team every time. He also has won the Defensive Player of the Year once. Jordan was a league leader in scoring for 10 seasons and in steals 3 times.
(Note: These are all subject to change as Lebron’s career progresses) In 18 seasons, LeBron James has won the NBA Finals 4 times in his career, winning the Finals MVP each time as well. In 10 Finals appearances, LeBron has a record of 4-6. He has been named an All-Star 16 times and has 4 MVP awards. In 16 All-NBA Team selections, James has been chosen to the First Team 13 times. He has been named to the All-Defensive Team 6 times including 5 First Team selections. Like Jordan, LeBron won Rookie of the Year in his first season. James was also the NBA scoring leader once and as well as being a one time assist leader.
Determining who has the better award shelf is still up for discussion since LeBron is bound to win a few more accolades before his career ends, but there are still some recognizable patterns. Jordan has performed much better in the Finals, and he has won many more awards for his scoring and defense. LeBron has had much more consistency in his long career so far, which is why he has more All-NBA and All Star selections.
Clutchness in the Playoffs
How a player performs in the clutch in the most important moments of the season, the Playoffs, is very important if they want to be the GOAT, and statistically, Jordan takes the cake in this category. Both of these players have their fair share of buzzer beaters, but we are not just looking at that. With 25 seconds left in Playoff games, LeBron is 8/23 (35%). He is also 0/6 in the Finals under the same stat. To compare, Jordan is 10/19 (53%) under 25 seconds in the fourth quarter of Playoff games, including being 4/8 (50%) in the Finals. LeBron has had some very clutch moments, though. The best example is probably his block on Andre Iguodala of the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals to seal the Cavaliers’ comeback after being down 3-1 in the series. On the other hand, he has also had moments in the Finals where he has struggled such as his series against the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.
Playoff Difficulty
Both Jordan and LeBron have competed against many of the all-time great players and teams in the Playoffs. It is often agreed on by many that Jordan played in a more difficult Eastern Conference, but LeBron played more difficult competition in the NBA Finals. In the three rounds before the Finals, Jordan played either three 50-win teams or two 60-win teams in each of his runs to the Finals, which is something that LeBron never had to face. Some of the best teams he matched up against earlier in his career were Larry Bird’s Celtics and the Bad Boy Pistons led by Isaiah Thomas. The script is flipped in the Finals, as LeBron has played teams such as the Spurs led by Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leanord and the Warriors with Stephan Curry and Kevin Durant. James is also an astonishing 13-0 in the first round of the Playoffs in his career.
Their Eras: Physicality vs. Skill
Though they each matched up against many great teams, the style of play in the 1980s and 90s vs. the 2000s and 2010s is extremely different. Jordan’s era was much more physical type of basketball. Many fouls called today did not occur during that time, and much of the defense was better. It is known that Michael Jordan even had to gain 15 pounds of muscle to withstand the beatings he received when Chicago played the Pistons, who had a specific gameplan to stop him that included sending him to the floor whenever possible. Though it is not as physical, today’s era, which LeBron is in the forefront of, has a larger amount of skill and talent. The players shooting skills are much better, and the way many guards handle the ball is astounding. Since the games in both time periods are so different, it is hard to say which era of basketball is superior. Still, recognizing the physicality of the 90s and the athleticism of the 2010s helps fans understand why Jordan and LeBron played the way that they did.
Teammates
Both Jordan and LeBron had some excellent teammates. MJ’s most iconic teammates are of course the Hall of Famers Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. This HOF trio was one of the best teams the world had ever seen while on the Bulls. Rodman and Pippen were crucial to the Bulls’ success on defense, but Jordan still led the way on offense for the most part. Some of LeBron’s best teammates include: Dwayne Wade, Kyrie Irving, and Anthony Davis, who are all likely future Hall of Famers. Jordan and LeBron's teammates show that it takes a team to win a championship and not just one player. In their case each of their teammates were crucial to their success throughout both of their careers.
Leadership
LeBron and Jordan have very different styles of leadership. LeBron is much more of a mentor to his teammates. Many of them have complemented his patience and friendly personality. He always makes sure that his teammates are not looking ahead and take every game seriously. On the other hand, Jordan was much harder on his teammates. Though this style was not liked by some of the people he played it with, it was a central part of Jordan’s personality. He wanted to win more than anything, and if you did not work as hard as him, he would make sure you heard about it. Some saw this as harsh, but many players, particularly Kobe Bryant, were inspired by his style of leadership and desire to become the best.
Longevity
One of the most incredible things about LeBron’s career is how he has been great for so long. He has already played 18 seasons, and he seems to have shown no signs of slowing down even at the age of 35. Though he likely could have played longer, Jordan only played 15 seasons, so LeBron must be given credit for his longevity and incredible durability.
Loyalty
Though he has played longer, LeBron has not been known to be extremely loyal to teams, as he had to manufacture them more often than Jordan did. The most notable occurrence of this was in 2010 when James left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the first time to form a super team with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat. It is important to understand that the Cavaliers were not doing a good job of surrounding LeBron with a team that could win a championship, but many disliked his decision to join a team that was already good enough to contend for a title. On the other hand, Jordan's team was built around him even though they started out as terrible. Without a significant teammate, Jordan and the Bulls struggled in the Playoffs until Scottie Pippen was drafted. Once Pippen was drafted, the Bulls became a formidable team in the East. Jordan’s team. Much of this can be credited to Chicago having a better front office, but the fact that Jordan stuck with his team even when things were not looking good to start has gained the respect of many fans.
Who is the GOAT?
I cannot see the GOAT debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James dying down anytime soon. It is a great conversation to have, and many think that there is no right or wrong answer. It is up for each individual fan to decide. Some statistics show that Jordan is better, and some may say that LeBron is the best. I would personally say that Jordan is currently the greatest to ever touch a basketball, but things could definitely change as LeBron’s career continues, which many of us cannot wait to witness. Whether you believe Jordan or LeBron is the GOAT, it is important that every fan of basketball shows respect towards these great players for what they are on and off the court. Debates like this are what makes being a sports fan in this day and age so enjoyable.
Who is your GOAT and why? Do you think players such as Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and others belong in this conversation? Leave a comment on this article or on any of our social media platforms and let us know your thoughts?