LeBron has the highest VORP and Win Shares ever. Their free throw output is very close; Jordan made 7,327 and LeBron has made 7,101. Both players do not care about who is going to be new faces of NBA or whatever. So for the record, youve got MJ, then Kobe, then LeBron. The author explains that actually, Stephen Curry has no intrigued about the new face of NBA between him and Lebron James. VORP and Win Shares favor James, but PER and Box Plus/Minus go to Jordan. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Rockets: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Nets vs. Knicks: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, 76ers vs. Heat: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Cavaliers vs. Celtics: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Bulls vs. Pistons: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. TRB since 1950-51. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. WNBA all-time (since 1997) unless otherwise noted. Or should that be LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan? -- Kevin Pelton. Do legends such as Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have a stronger case than Michael Jordan? The Warriors dominated the series, winning four games to two. For Jordan partisans, the Bulls' 6-0 record in Finals series is indisputable proof of his superiority. The Cavs went on to have one of their worst seasons yet. ORB, DRB, STL, BLK, DRtg, BPM, VORP, and per 100 Poss stats since 1973-74. Three of those four belong to Chamberlain anyway. TOV and ORtg since 1977-78. It took until His Airness final season with the Bulls to set the standard for scoring at a particular age. 23 years ago today, KOBE BRYANT vs MICHAEL JORDAN at the 1998 #NBAAllStar Game! Most people know that Lebron James and Stephen Curry play in a dissimilar position, style of playing, careers and so on. As James grew into a tantalizing basketball prospect capable of jumping from high school to the NBA as the No. Of the others who entered the league straight from high school, Tracy McGrady (7.0) got closest to Bryants average one year later. James is by far the oldest player to notch 10 straight 25-point games. Many of the reasons why this decision can never be agreed on is because of many things. Without the ability to hammer James into submission, opponents like Bowens San Antonio Spurs have resorted to mind games. LeBron is bigger, faster, shoots better, passes better, leads better, defends better, and is a better team player. He also has a better personality than the arrogant Jordan. Whether one-on-one or HORSE, James is better. In fact, he's an athletic genius with all the intangibles. At this tier, Chamberlain averaged 33.5 in 1965-66 and Jordan 32.6 in 1992-93. 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By the way, Malone played 81 games and Jordan, in his final season, played 82. Compare player statistics for: English, a second-round pick in 1976, had averaged 22.3 points across his first 14 seasons. Date of birth: Feb 17, 1963. James (38,299 career points) is only 89 points away from doing so. It was all identical but not the same(P//5). The debate between who the best basketball player of all time has been going on for many years. When thinking of greatness in the realm of basketball, these two definitely come to mind. Guys were smoking cigarettes at halftime in his early days.. If LeBron James is not better than Michael Jordan he is just as good because of his career accomplishments, his statistical numbers, as well, Comparison Of Michael Jordan And Lebron James, Who is the greatest basketball player of all time? 5spot with 32,292. Even though Lebron and Jordan are compared a lot, many people still think Jordan would beat LeBron head to, They are both the heart of their teams and they are the ones their teams build around bringing players in that will help them and the team win. He played only 48 games while adding 18.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists. Jordan would challenge Johnson to endless free throw contests and games of H-O-R-S-E when they were teammates on USA Basketballs 1992 Dream Team. Bill Russel, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Julius Dr. Jordan led his team to the finals six times and came out victorious all six of those times. In the latest episode of "More Than An Athlete," LeBron James says his historic 2016 NBA Finals win made him the greatest player ever. This has James on pace to set the NBA record by a wide margin. Through Michael Jordans athletic success on the court, he was able to make himself and his brand into a cultural icon, which had a great impact on the game of basketball, fashion, marketing, and the economy in America. They've dominated the NBA discourse for the better part of four decades, ranking first and second in playoff points scored (LeBron over MJ) and Finals MVPs (MJ over LeBron). A new poll commissioned by ESPN in 2020 found that 73% of NBA fans believe Jordan is the superior player overall, and the Chicago Bulls legend swept all 17 questions comparing him to James by metrics both on and off the court. Look back at Wilt Chamberlain's legendary NBA career. Over 14 games, James is averaging 34.7 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.3 Second to the Dippers bar-setter, Michael Jordan averaged 35.0 points in 1987-88. Look back at Elgin Baylor's legendary NBA career. Carters improbably long career faded not into the sunset but into the COVID-19 shutdown. When NFL quarterback Peyton Manning suited up for Denver as a 37-year-old in 2013, he put up the biggest numbers of his career: 5,477 passing yards and 55 touchdowns. NBA GOAT debate: Big questions on the greatest players ever. Two exceptional talents. Some people way say Lebron James is the best player to play the over ichael jordan and people say he could be the person to change the logo to the. Watching LeBron play, you see his pass-first mentality at work. J Irving are just a few of those with the careers to back this title. LeBron also has 28 career playoff triple-doubles, while Jordan has two. 32. However, no players have been debated more than Michael Jordan and Lebron James. Henry Aaron slugged 47 home runs in 1971, when he was 37 years old. Basketball fan or basketball people have probably heard or had a strong discussion about who is a greater player: Kobe Bryant or LeBron James? Sorting only sorts the values in the table shown. Nearly a third of Hardens points this season (10.2) came from the foul line, his career-high on freebies. Both had consistently high scoring outputs and very little time missed to injury, with Abdul-Jabbar only notably missing two months in 1977, having broken his hand while punching Milwaukee Bucks center Kent Benson in the jaw. Michael Jordan is still considered the greatest basketball player of all time. They both managed to have a killer mentality where winning was the number one priority, and health was just a second thought. Remember when LeBron scored 25 straight points? Cassell asked, referring to a 2007 playoff game between Jamess Cavaliers and the Pistons. Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York. Please see our data coverage page for details. While some differences between Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan are evident, the similarities are striking which caused the entire dilemma on whos the better version. Ive failed over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed (MJ). Daring James to shoot proved effective for stretches because it caused James to overthink. Data runs from 1946-47 to present Keep scrolling to see how long it could take James to catch up to their records. Even after Michael Jordan left his team they were still successful, as for LeBron leaving Cleveland well things were not looking good for the Cavs. LeBron James and Stephen Curry have put up ageless scoring numbers. At his current scoring pace, he should pass Bryant, another Lakers legend, during the 2019-20 season if he maintains good health. Karl Malone averaged 23.2 points at that age and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar went for 22.0, and they were two of the most prolific graybeards in the games history. Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. Ben Golliver joined The Washington Post as the National NBA Writer in 2018. And he shot better now from distance (38.9% vs. 36.7%). Zodiac sign: Aquarius. He adopts a comic tone in order to amuse and entertain the reader, but also to establish a common ground with the reader in order for them to consider his inquiry that consistent, continuous competition has been the catalyst for bringing James into the discussion for the greatest of, Who is better Lebron James or Michael Jordan? Should LeBron be listed No. MP and PER since 1951-52. Is Jarred Vanderbilt the Lakers missing link? He Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Or write about sports? On March 28th, 2003 the ultimate rivalry took place between Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. The first award we will look at is the R.O.Y award. Compare And Contrast Michael Jordan And Lebroon James, LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan Nowadays, the question that looms over every NBA fan and analysts head is, Who is the greatest of all time? WebLeBron James seems to be ignoring the memo on Father Time's undefeated record. As many haters and doubters of LeBron James have stated before, he cant win when it counts or he chokes in the Finals or he tainted his championships by forming the big 3, you have to give credit where credit is due. Note: Because some players birthdays fall during the NBA season, we are going with the age XX year as determined by Basketball-Reference.com. Bryant vs LeBron James vs Michael Jordan: stats, Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: The key stats NBA 24/7 - Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: NBA Better Winning a fourth NBA title and leading a third team to a championship might be the pinnacle of his basketball career, but in life, at 35, James is just getting started. In conclusion, LeBron James is statistically a better player when it comes to all-around basketball. However, Michael Jordan was a much better scorer. He won more on the biggest stage, but failed often in the playoffs and rarely beat some of his greatest opponents. James played with better teammates than Jordan did. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. WebEvery time Lebron wins a championship ring, he is compared to Jordan more. Look back at Jerry West's legendary NBA career. site for a tweet, an article, or for research for a The two players call people out; they call out their own teammates too. Didnt matter much, though, given the Lakers other weapons he got his sixth championship and L.A. earned its fifth of the decade. Kendrick Perkins ranks LeBron James as No. As always, he was a physical specimen, but he was a far cry from his prime when he averaged 18.2 points and 12.9 rebounds from 1992 through 1995 for Atlanta and Miami. 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