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. Most of the players who criticize LeBron for passing instead of shooting, especially when its time to take the last shot, are speaking from their own abilities, not his. In the playoffs, he set the still-standing Finals record of 61 points in Game 5 against Boston. He passes Michael Jordan, who did it at age 34 in 1997. See All. The key difference is three-point shooting. most points scored by a player in their 20th season, LeBron James will be GOAT over Michael Jordan once he gets NBA's scoring record, says Chandler Parsons. LeBron has the highest VORP and Win Shares ever. In the fall of 1997, Michael Jordan and the Bulls began their quest to win a sixth NBA title in eight years. It was all identical but not the same(P//5). LeBron feels he's the GOAT after Cavs' 2016 title win. 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? They do not believe that anyone is better than them. Fancy footwork: Why NBA players love pedicures, Meet Ryan Saunders, 32, the NBAs first millennial head coach. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. But within the confines of the NBA, where 37 can feel like dog years to many players, James 2021-22 individual season hasnt just been remarkable. If LeBron James is not better than Michael Jordan he is just as good because of his career accomplishments, his statistical numbers, as well. The argument for why Lebron James is a better (though not necessarily greater) player than Michael Jordan is at its core quite simple. He has dominated a more skilled and talented era of basketball. Jordan has Lebron beaten in overall influence and cultural impact, but as far as simple basketball? Its Lebron. The underappreciated forward ranks 23rd in career points, ahead of West, Iverson, Dwyane Wade, Larry Bird and, well, all but 22 guys. Then theres Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at 34.8 in 1971-72 and Nate (Tiny) Archibald in fourth place among 24-year-olds, averaging 34 points while also leading the NBA at 11.4 assists per game in 1972-73. As he prepared to pass Jordan for the most postseason points in NBA history in 2017, James himself declared: I dont want to be labeled as a scorer. While arguments can be (and have been) made for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Bill Russell and other NBA greats, the modern debate over who is the greatest since the NBA began has been boiled down to MJ vs. LeBron. He just punished you.. Warning: This graphic requires JavaScript. Could 45,000 be in play? The author explains that actually, Stephen Curry has no intrigued about the new face of NBA between him and Lebron James. Michael Jordan may have retired, but he still a 5 time MVP trophy winner, he also been in 6 championship games. Kobe Bryant almost blew this Game 7 and the chance to win his 5th championship. Jordans success in the finals and post-season was an amazing feat thatll probably never come close to being accomplished ever again (Zachmo Marsupalami.). In your Twitter replies. NEW: Sample Searches for learning more about the power and flexibility of Stathead. LeBron is probably going to pass Kareem and we dont even think of him as a scorer, said Sacramento Kings color commentator Doug Christie, who defended James during his 2003 pro debut. WNBA all-time (since 1997) unless otherwise noted. The Lebron versus Kobe really got heated when Michael Jordan said he thinks Bryant is the better player due to his five championship, Although the stats do not lie, people still believe there is an argument to be made over who the greatest basketball player of all time is because of the number of championships won. The harsh debate has gone on ever since Lebrons rookie season in 2004 when people started comparing him to Jordan. When most people think about Michael Jordan, they think about him as the greatest basketball player who ever played. Not only dont players lead the league in scoring (or nearly so) at 37, they dont get close to averaging 30. Jordan Greer is an NBA content producer for The Sporting News. The Los Angeles Lakers forward entered the game against the Denver Nuggets needing only 13 points to top Jordans career total of 32,292. Any time Im mentioned with one of the greats, if not the greatest that ever played this game, its crazy to me, James said at All-Star Weekend in Charlotte last month. Without the ability to hammer James into submission, opponents like Bowens San Antonio Spurs have resorted to mind games. So for the record, youve got MJ, then Kobe, then LeBron. Find out more. If James missed from a particular spot early on, Christie would try to steer him back there as the game unfolded. Theres no way this kid is 18 years old. . They have both made the most impact for their respective teams, they have also made rookie of the year their first years. Abdul-Jabbar had averaged 17.5 points at age 39 but that still was a 20-point rate pro-rated to 36 minutes. Jordan is the all-time playoff leader in PER and Box Plus/Minus, and he has the highest usage percentage. Jordan has 38 career 40-point games in the playoffs and eight 50-point games (including his NBA playoff-record 63). A current star has complicated that GOAT (greatest of all time) conversation, of course. However, Jordan was not only a basketball player, but someone who influenced the American culture and society. There's a very good chance that James blows by 40,000 career points. If youre looking for legends, this is a tier that has That's not a smart way to argue against him. Ask to see his feet. He and the Lakers lost in the Finals to New York, but West did win his only scoring title, with 35 games of 30 points or more and 13 more of at least 40. Michael Jordan averaged 30.1 points per game over his career the highest in NBA history. WebEvery time Lebron wins a championship ring, he is compared to Jordan more. While Lebron has 2 championships (2011-13) , and was the MVP of both of those wins. By: HoopsHype, But when you want to say whos the greatest ever its still Michael Jordan, Im going with MJ because I played with him. TOV and ORtg since 1977-78. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? WebPlayer Comparison: LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan. Similarly, Johnson praised Jamess key evolutions throughout his career: honing his three-point shooting, mastering his responses to various defensive schemes, and varying his teams style of play to get the most out of his teammates. 1 on his list of top NBA players of all time. James and his closest friends idolized Michael Jordan while they grew up together in Akron, Ohio. On March 28th, 2003 the ultimate rivalry took place between Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. What about LeBron James? LeBron James just passed Michael Jordan on the NBAs career scoring list despite LeBron considering himself more playmaker than scorer. Aaron Williams contributed to the graphics. Before coming to The Post, he was Deputy Director of Data Visualization at the Los Angeles Times and an alum of the L.A. Times Data Desk. He did average 34.0 points for the Oaks at 24. The Cavs went on to have one of their worst seasons yet. There was a battle of old warriors going on 20-plus spots down the scoring leaderboard, with Malone edging out Jordan (20.0) for the 39-year-old crown. James' recent scoring run has brought his season averages up to 30.2PPG, 8.5RPG and 7.1APG on 50.5% shooting. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. 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. 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. I wouldnt change LeBrons approach at all.. However, LeBron James is still averaging around three times more points than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did in his 20th and final season. GS since 1981-82. 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. Kobe Bryant Stats: 23 Points, 15 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 1 Steal, 0 Blocks. Jordan had the drive and edge over his opponents to win games. If you utilize material unique to a Sports Reference One of a kind. The debate is most often between LeBron James and Michael Jordan, though Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has some backers, too. M.J. From there, James would have to play several more seasons to score the more than 3,000 points it would take to get within striking distance of Malone and Abdul-Jabbar. Go to ESPN+ and subscribe now to view full episodes. The effect of Jordans game was so profound that the league changed its rules to make the games more enjoyable. Prior to the James era, the consensus pretty There some people who think LeBron James is the greatest, there are some that think Michael Jordan is the greatest. (greatest of all time), Id give the nod to Michael Jordan is because he had more of an assassin mentality, You cannot put that man in the same category as MJ right now, I love you, brother, but I have to go with Mike, MJ is the greatest basketball player of all-time, Thats just what separated Michael from everybody else including Magic, Bird, the greats of the greats, He is the greatest player in the history of basketball, Pelicans vs. Blazers: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Magic vs. The only question now is, Who is the best, He has been to the NBA Finals six times and all six times he and the Chicago Bulls were world champions. Percentage of total points scored from three-pointers, two-pointers and free throws for the top five scorers, Percentage of total points scored from three-pointers, two-. Jordan has 38 career 40-point games in the playoffs and eight 50-point games (including his NBA playoff-record 63). now available on Blu-ray for a limited time. 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. He played both ends at the highest level, Christie said. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. With these and plenty other factors taken into consideration, LeBron James is the better overall player. They revolutionized the game and brought a standard to be met- Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. When thinking of greatness in the realm of basketball, these two definitely come to mind. LeBron has much competition with all the new all these new talents with so much potential. The top three point scorers If the more dominate player already isnt clear, its Michael, Who is the greatest basketball player of all time? This translated in outlawing defensive contact when a player is in the perimeter, which in turn allowed players to relentlessly attack the lane and score on spectacular layups or dunks in a manner similar to what Jordan popularized. Jordan took over in his playoff runs scoring over 33 points a game compared to Lebron's 28 points. WebThe 7-foot-1 Hall of Fame center destroyed rims, glass backboards and entire baskets on multiple occasions throughout his career.Michael Jordan is already eternalized in Kobe has 5 championships, and out of those 5 he was the MVP of two of them (2007-08). Its amazing to realize that The Beard averaged more points at 29 than Wilt, Jordan or anybody else in NBA history. He doesnt mouth referees often, isnt cocky, and doesnt pin blame on his fellow team mates. Sorting only sorts the values in the table shown. 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