LeBron James is in scintillating form. His stat line in year 19 is better than what prime Michael Jordan put up at age 28!
King James is a statistical marvel. The player has played an insane number of games and has kept up an unthinkable average.
He is 37 years old and is leading the league in scoring. In terms of putting up all-time numbers, we reckon there are very few players that can match him.
He also recently passed Karl Malone to sit atop the number two spot in the all-time scoring list. With the current form, it looks as if LeBron will reach Kareem’s record in just another season or so!
Despite him shining through his team is out of the playoff spots. In fact, they are out of the play-in tournament as of this moment of writing.
Also read: “Michael Jordan and I could’ve won 75 games in 1996!”: Dennis Rodman was adamant in his belief that the Chicago Bulls could’ve easily won more than 72 games in ‘96
LeBron James is statistically better than a 28-year-old Michael Jordan
A closer look at the number reveals that James’ 19th season is better than when MJ was 28! Yes, a 37-year-old LeBron is putting up the same and slightly better figures than his Airness.
The Lakers may be struggling but the King certainly isn’t. If he does win the scoring title, it would be his second and he would also be the oldest player to win it. By some margin that too.
While this is not a direct comparison to Jordan, the numbers are incredible to look at. There are bigger questions that lie ahead for LeBron though.
Can the King lead the Lakers to the playoffs? Just 5 games are remaining. We will have to sit tight and wait for this one.
Also read: “LeBron James has sonned two generations of players in the NBA”: A closer look at the longevity of the Lakers superstar
As the new Space Jam movie is being seen by millions of people, people are naturally starting to revive the debate as to who is the Greatest of All Time (GOAT), Michael Jordan or LeBron James?
Championships
For this category, Jordan currently has the upper hand. The number one thing mentioned when debating who’s better is the number of championships Jordan has compared to James. So far, this has cemented Jordan as the GOAT in a lot of people’s eyes.
Jordan has a total of six championships under his belt while James only has four championships. However, Jordan went 6-0 in the finals while James is 4-6 in the finals. Due to James’ mediocre record in the finals, a lot of people put Jordan ahead him just for that reason.
Now, the question that arises is, if James gets two more championships before he retires, will that officially cement him as the greatest of all time? A lot of people are 50/50 about this because of what James’ overall finals record would be, but ultimately, if he gets the same number of championships as Jordan, it will be hard to dispute that he’s not the greatest of all time.
Even James’ playoff record is something mentioned when debating who’s the best. At the end of the day, this stat will really decide who’s the greatest of all time and is why it’s so important for James to win a few more championships and improve his playoffs and finals records.
Stats
Statistically speaking, James is doing better than Jordan and will have better stats when it’s all said and done. James currently has more career points, rebounds, assists and blocks as compared to Jordan. The only category Jordan leads right now is steals, but James isn’t too far behind him and could potentially beat him by the time he retires.
Considering that James still has a few years of basketball in him, his stats will continue to improve and will continue to bolster him in front of Jordan. For a lot of people, stats are equally as important as championships because it shows how an athlete did individually. So, for this category, James will have the upper hand. For a full side by side comparison of their stats, click here.
Awards
Both men have an impressive resume when it comes to the number of NBA awards they have won. Jordan has five regular season MVPs while James has four, and both men have won a finals MVP each time they won a championship, with Jordan at 6 and James at 4.
The rest of the awards vary from category to category. James has 17 NBA all-star appearances while Jordan only has 14 (and James will only continue to grow that number in the next few years), James has more All-NBA selections and All-NBA first team selections as compared to Jordan, but Jordan has more All-Defensive and All-Defensive 1st team selections. Jordan has more scoring titles as compared to James.
Really, you could go all day about who has more awards and show how one individual is better than another, but ultimately, these two athletes are neck and neck in each award category. However, James will more likely continue to keep getting more awards as his career goes along and will ultimately have the upper hand on this category.
Influence Outside of Basketball
Both athletes are considered some of the most influential athletes in all sports. With Jordan’s famous Jordan Brand and James’ huge brand with Nike, both athletes are really “tied” in this category for a lot of people. Both athletes even starred in the Space Jam movies, proving they’re even popular in Hollywood.
Social-media-wise, James has a bigger following and influence as compared to Jordan. Really, this category is equal as both athletes have huge influence outside of basketball and will continue to keep having influence for years to come.
The Future
One thing that James has going for him is his future in basketball. James still has a few more “good” years of basketball within him to secure more championships and to improve his stat line. If James can capitalize in these next few years, he can ultimately seal the deal as the greatest basketball player of all time.
However, it’s now harder than ever to get a championship for James. His age, along with the highly competitive nature of today’s NBA, is going to make it very difficult for him to win more championships in the next few years.
One of the biggest criticisms James has gotten (as compared to Jordan) is his use of superteams. As mentioned earlier, every NBA team has improved drastically making it harder to win a championship in today’s NBA; because of this, James has been a part of or formed superteams to combat this issue.
From his “Big Three” era in Miami to his current unstoppable duo with Anthony Davis, a lot of people are discrediting James’ championships as they feel he’s been “carried” due to his involvement with superteams. This is one of James’ biggest roadblocks to becoming the greatest of all time and if he continues to get “help” from other superstars, his future championships could be discredited and viewed as less valuable than Jordan’s. Ultimately, James will have to prove a lot in these next few years.
Level of Competition
One of the most controversial aspects of the GOAT debate is the level of competition both athletes have had to face. Jordan faced Magic, Bird, Malone, Barkley and whole lot of other athletes from the 80s and 90s, while James has faced Durant, Curry, Kobe, Duncan and a whole lot of other athletes from 2000s and 2010s (and even now in the 2020s).
Really, this is hard to compare because you can’t definitively say that one era is better than another, and you can’t compare the style of play either. However, there is no question that players nowadays are better compared to when Jordan played. But that’s to come naturally as players get better trainers, medicine, resources and more to help them improve.
People often argue and say that if athletes in the 90s had the resources current athletes had they’d be just as good; because of this aspect, you really can’t compare the level of competition. Also, saying that today’s NBA play style is more difficult than what it was back then is also an “unfair” comparison because you can’t determine if either athlete would’ve done better in the other’s era of NBA play. This category will really come down to preference when debating this topic.
Regardless of who you think is the greatest of all time in basketball, Jordan and James are arguably the number 1 and 2 players in NBA history. Both athletes have done a lot for the sport of basketball and their impact and influence will be felt in the NBA for decades to come.
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Ever since LeBron James was dubbed The Chosen One, as far as basketball is concerned, several conversations have emerged about whether he could surpass Michael Jordan as the greatest of all time. And while Michael Jordan vs LeBron James' stats comparison needs deep analysis, it is only fair to say that they are outstanding players.
Source: Getty Images
But even though the two are being compared, LeBron grew up idolizing Michael Jordan. He dressed like him, wore his shoes, and even studied his pitch skills for starters. So it was only a matter of time before LeBron joined the main league and even donned the number 23. So come with us as we dive into Michael Jordan vs LeBron James' GOAT debate and what level of success the two legends have achieved.
Michael Jordan vs LeBron James, who is better?
But even before we look at Michael and James' career points, how old are these legendary NBA players? Below are short profile summaries detailing a little more about the players' age, height, zodiac signs, and social links. We also look at a comparison between Michael Jordan vs LeBron James' net worths.
Michael Jordan's profile summary
He primarily earns his vast income from his multiple career endeavours. He has made a name in the business world as the primary owner of Jordan. Exactly what is Michael Jordan's net worth? According to sources, he has an estimated net worth of $2.2 billion.
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Michael Jeffrey Jordan
- Date of birth: Feb 17, 1963
- Age: 59 years old as of April 2022
- Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac sign: Aquarius
- Michael Jordan's height in feet: 6'6"
- Height in centimetres: 198
- Instagram: @theofficialmichaeljordan
- Net worth: Approximately $2.2 billion
LeBron James' profile summary
He primarily earns his income from his career endeavours. And while he is not limited to his basketball career, he has a massive Nike contract. James has earned more than $1 billion during his 18-year career, with nearly $400 million in salary and more than $600 million in earnings off the court. After accounting for taxes, spending and investment returns, Forbes estimated James’ net worth to be about $850 million in August 2021.
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: LeBron Raymone James Sr.
- Date of birth: 30 December 1984
- Age: 37 years old as of April 2022
- Place of birth: Akron, Ohio, the United States of America
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac sign: Capricorn
- LeBron James' height in feet: 6'9"
- Height in centimetres: 206
- Twitter: @KingJames
- Instagram: @lebron
- Net worth: Approximately $850 million
Michael Jordan vs LeBron James' career points
As per the recent statistics, here are the table summaries of Michael Jordan vs LeBron James' NBA titles, their playoff records, NBA finals stats, accolades, net worth, and the number of trophies each has won since their career debut.
Michael Jordan vs LeBron James' career accolades
The table below illustrates the two renowned NBA players' career accolades since their debut in the national team.
Source: UGC
Michael Jordan vs LeBron James' playoff record
Playoffs are where James' talents are fully unleashed. And while different players display undeniable skills on the pitch, Lebron often proves to his fans why he is the greatest to play the game. On the other hand, Michael's 6 in 6 should speak volumes for itself.
Source: UGC
LeBron James vs Michael Jordan regular season stats
MJ is renowned for taking over a particular game and single-handedly outshining his opponents with dominance. On the other side of the coin, James is a more balanced player who scores when challenged to score, but even more, he is renowned for getting all his teammates involved in the game.
Source: Instagram
James vs Jordan Regular season advanced stats
It is not often ideal to just look at the significant stats when comparing two different eras. However, at times, advanced stats give an insight into the playing style and a fundamental way of evaluating two different aspects of the same attributes. The table below illustrates those advanced stats.
Source: UGC
Michael Jordan vs LeBron James' NBA finals stats
James has been to the finals 10 times, coming out with the championship on four occasions. On the other hand, Michael went to the finals 6 times and won all 6 of them without even proceeding to level 7. Below is a table that has complied these legends' NBA final stats.
Source: UGC
Even though Michael Jordan vs LeBron James comparison needs deep analysis, we can now tell who the GOAT of basketball is from the compiled tables and lists above. Is it Michael Jordan or LeBron James? Who is your favourite? Let us know in the comments.
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Source: SportsBrief.com