LEBRON JAMES VS. MICHAEL JORDAN STATS UPGRADE
LEBRON JAMES VS. MICHAEL JORDAN STATS SERIES

For James believers, his 10 Finals appearances are emblematic of LeBron's longer record of accomplishment.

LEBRON JAMES VS. MICHAEL JORDAN STATS SERIES

Zach LoweĪre LeBron's four titles better than MJ's six?įor Jordan partisans, the Bulls' 6-0 record in Finals series is indisputable proof of his superiority. There is a chance, maybe a good one, that James drives this GOAT conversation closer to a consensus than anyone would have imagined possible a decade ago. Jordan backers can no longer shout '6-0' and declare it over. MJ: The GOAT debate is different nowĪt minimum, it's a debate now. For most of our panel, Michael is still the man but that doesn't mean the argument is entirely one-sided, nor is the opinion unanimous. We asked our ESPN Forecast panel a series of questions to get at the heart of the GOAT debate. How LeBron can top Jordan for GOAT status So with apologies to legendary boxer Muhammad Ali - who claimed 'greatest' status for himself and popularized the acronym - here is everything you need to know about who might be the NBA's GOAT. Their names are all over the NBA record books in just about every category. 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). The two never met on the court Jordan retired for the third and final time (as a Washington Wizard) two months before the Cleveland Cavaliers made James the No. 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.

It's the never-ending debate among today's NBA fans: Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James. LeBron James: Everything you need to know about the NBA GOAT debate

LEBRON JAMES VS. MICHAEL JORDAN STATS UPGRADE

This was easily the least efficient season of James' career, as he had a true shooting percentage of 48.8 percent.You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser James put up some stellar numbers for a rookie, averaging 20.9 points, 5.9 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals, but he also shot just 41.7 percent from the floor. Along with this, James shot 29.0 percent from beyond the arc and 75.4 percent from the free-throw line. The “well, you're older” argument for basketball stops being accurate in like ninth grade.Īnyway, both players went on to have nice rookie seasons. Both LeBron and MJ won Rookie of the Year for their respective teams. Some believe the age difference should matter when comparing rookie seasons, but that doesn't make sense because both players were playing their first real games against NBA players and had no previous experience doing so (MJ did play in the 1984 Summer Olympics). Mary High School and was drafted with the first overall pick by his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, at just 18 years old in 2003. LeBron James, however, didn't go to college. He was drafted to the Chicago Bulls with the third overall pick. Michael Jordan came into the league as a rookie in 1984 as a 21-year-old out of North Carolina. However, what may be easier to do is ask a less serious and more fun question: Which of these two players had the better rookie season? Really, there is no way to perfectly compare these guys across generations. The comparing of these two players at their peaks will go on for years to come, and while most will take the creator of the most popular shoe brand on the planet, the conversation isn't going to end anytime soon. The one NBA player most believe is the closest to His Airness is LeBron James, once proclaimed as The Chosen One coming out of high school.īoth these players boast historic careers, with James' career obviously not over yet. Michael Jordan is widely agreed upon as the NBA's GOAT.

Lebron james vs. michael jordan stats