The moves they made were the exact same from the fade away jump shot, to the way they dunked the ball. 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 Jordan led his team to the finals six times and came out victorious all six of those times. Kobe plays the shooting guard position but can move anywhere around the perimeter, such as point guard, shooting guard, and small forward, coming in at 66 205 pounds. Jordan didnt bother to bait anyone. Michael Jordan has 6 rings while LeBron has 3 rings. Jay Williams explains why he credits LeBron James as the GOAT due to his willingness to speak out about social issues. Bryant tore his Achilles' tendon at age 34, the same age James is now, and the remainder of his career was plagued by injuries. 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. Please enable JavaScript for the best experience. There some people who think LeBron James is the greatest, there are some that think Michael Jordan is the greatest. Check out the best moments from Luka Doncic during the 2019-20 season. During games he blames the referees for every game error. Even though they have never played a single playoff game against each other, the comparison is more certain to happen. The key difference is three-point shooting. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. J Irving are just a few of those with the careers to back this title. Popular writer and sports columnist, Bill Simmons, in his article, LeBron is Still Painting his Masterpiece, describes the current state of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and compares the careers of two of the greatest players in the leagues history: Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Stymied in his quest for an NBA title, West in his 10th season wasnt about to go gentle into that good night. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. The Spurs took one of LeBrons biggest strengths his brain and used it against him, Bowen said, adding that the strategy had its limitations. Six championships. Michael with no doubt left the NBA as one of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball. Last, the most significant difference in these two athletes is their game attitude. James had a clear-cut advantage, with Jordan having averaged 22.9PPG, 5.7RPG and 5.2APG on 41.6% shooting, however, many fans took issue with the comparison. this season Michael Jordan is a superior player to kareem because of his success on and off the court. English, a second-round pick in 1976, had averaged 22.3 points across his first 14 seasons. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. When it came to reliability at the line, Jordan (83.5 percent) clearly outpaced James (73.7 percent). Since 1985, the Jumpman logo, LeBron James will take Jordans throne as Source: basketball-reference.com Credits: Illustrations by Tomasz Usyk. The author explains that actually, Stephen Curry has no intrigued about the new face of NBA between him and Lebron James. LeBron has put up some unheard of and unthinkable numbers, while leading a team in 2007 to the National Basketball Association finals that had no other star players on the roster. 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. 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. The way Michael scored the basketball wasnt always good for his team. Jordans influence was one that had never been seen before. Is Jarred Vanderbilt the Lakers missing link? He has been known to flop and complain to referees. This still doesn't change the fact that Michael Jordan and LeBron James won 2 Olympic gold medals. pointers and free throws for the top five scorers in NBA history. LeBron does not have the dominance of Michael Jordan. The moves they made were the exact same from the fade away jump shot, to the way they dunked the ball. This was the season after he won his MVP. Jordan has 38 career 40-point games in the playoffs and eight 50-point games (including his NBA playoff-record 63). 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. Well never know where Jordans totals would have ended up if not for a pair of early retirements (missing nearly two full seasons when he walked away the first time at age 30). Michael Jordan has retired, then made his return to the NBA. If James missed from a particular spot early on, Christie would try to steer him back there as the game unfolded. This has James on pace to set the NBA record by a wide margin. The underappreciated forward ranks 23rd in career points, ahead of West, Iverson, Dwyane Wade, Larry Bird and, well, all but 22 guys. 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. When it comes to statistical comparison Jordan could be considered as better after winning six titles and its important to emphasize two 3-peats. Im thinking, What the hell? That included 30.0 ppg in seven summer contests in the Orlando bubble in the virus lockdown season. James, who has a career scoring average of 27.1 points per game over 16 seasons, passed Jordan in his 1,190th game. Some may say James has an So he only could play for the Lakers on weekend passes, traveling to L.A. or wherever else they happened to be scheduled. Chris Paul is the 1st player in NBA history to be part of 4 teams to set a franchise record for wins in a season. Outside of James, the most points scored by a player in their 20th season is Lakers legend Kobe Bryant at 17.6PPG. LeBron was shut down by Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala. Jordan had the drive and edge over his opponents to win games. now available on Blu-ray for a limited time. Two months out from his 38th birthday, 19 days since setting the NBA's all-time scoring record and a week from a record-tying 19th All-Star appearance, LeBron James is still giving Father Time a game for the ages. Theres no way this kid is 18 years old. . Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Through the age of 31, LeBron James has accomplished more than Michael Jordan did through his 19 year career. With five regular-season MVPs and three All-Star MVPs, Jordan became the most decorated player in the NBA. I banged him and he didnt move. 1 on his list of top NBA players of all time. Miami Heats and Chicago Bulls have had many MVP players, these two players contribute the most to their team's success is LeBron with the Miami Heats and Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls. That's not a smart way to argue against him. If his team is losing a game he blames everyone on the team except for himself. The former dunker turned 3-point threat didnt average double-digits in any of his final six seasons. Look back at Michael Jordan's legendary NBA career. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Against Jordan, Smith was expected to freelance off his man at a moments notice to provide help. Or should that be LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan? That was a special day for LeBron. 27.3 Player Efficiency Rating (PER) 27.9, 145.9 Value Over Replacement (VORP) 116.1. 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. Rule changes have led to a different game, three-pointers, two-pointers and free throws. Michael Jordan is widely considered as the greatest basketball player of all time, however in LeBron James there is an individual who can claim to challenge him for Finally, we will look at NBA championships and Finals MVPs. 3, chasing Kareem at the top LeBron James and champion Lakers join NBA TV after Game 6 win Abdul-Jabbar had averaged 17.5 points at age 39 but that still was a 20-point rate pro-rated to 36 minutes. (That's a term of endearment.). When thinking of greatness in the realm of basketball, these two definitely come to mind. Ben Golliver joined The Washington Post as the National NBA Writer in 2018. One of a kind. Fundamentally it is real, but at the same time, they also have some correspondence with goals and others. Kobe Bryant Stats: 23 Points, 15 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 1 Steal, 0 Blocks. (6:40). Christie, Cassell and Smith all agreed with Bowen that Jordan, not James, should get the ball with the season on the line. 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. Jordan has 38 career 40-point games in the playoffs and eight 50-point games (including his NBA playoff-record 63). 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. LeBron is just the opposite and I say, bravo. Most people know that Lebron James and Stephen Curry play in a dissimilar position, style of playing, careers and so on. Here's a closer look at where the GOAT debate stands On a per-game basis, Jordan is superior in the scoring department, but James grabsrebounds and dishesout assists at a higher rate. He However, it looks like LeBron James is set to smash every single scoring record in relation to longevity. Both came to the NBA out of high school, both have been very high place since those early years, and made a huge impact on the league. MP and PER since 1951-52. At age 37, LeBron has scored 25 points in 10 consecutive games. Its important to keep in mind, however, that Abdul-Jabbar also started playing later, at age 22, because of stricter NBA eligibility rules at the time. LA Lakers star forward LeBron James has been on fire since turning 38 on December 30. When most people think about Michael Jordan, they think about him as the greatest basketball player who ever played. James did it last season and again this season. help us continue to produce this material. Daring James to shoot proved effective for stretches because it caused James to overthink. Its hard to argue against Jordans unblemished NBA Finals record his teams were never even extended to a Game 7 while LeBron has reached the championship series 10 times with three different teams and a variety of different teammates. The debate between who the best basketball player of all time has been going on for many years. Kendrick Perkins ranks LeBron James as No. We asked our ESPN Forecast panel a series of questions to get at the heart of the GOAT debate. WebLatest on Los Angeles Lakers small forward LeBron James including news, stats, videos, highlights and more on ESPN 34.4: 73.5: 7.5: 7.3: 0.8: 1.5: 1.8: 3.5: 27.2: Recent Games. Click on the red text to pre-fill the form with various values, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 4:56AM. As you can see on the list below, James playing at or near his current level should have a solid shot at the setting age 38 and age 39 marks held respectively by Abdul-Jabbar (23.4) and Malone (20.6). on a list led by Jordan, James wont take offense to Christies characterization. Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Regular season stats On a per-game basis, Jordan is superior in the scoring department, but James grabs rebounds and dishes Warning: This graphic requires JavaScript. 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. TOV and ORtg since 1977-78. Most people know that Lebron James and Stephen Curry play in a dissimilar position, style of playing, careers and so on. Bucks: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Grizzlies vs. LeBron James could not score in the 4th quarter and when the Cavs needed a spark. Their goal was to dominate you. They both managed to have a killer mentality where winning was the number one priority, and health was just a second thought. He passes Michael Jordan, who did it at age 34 in 1997. Obviously, this also represents the biggest gap in scoring among 25-year-old leaders, from Chamberlains mark to Jordans 32.5 in 1988-89. There are so many more mountains to conquer. This age difference could give James more time to catch up to his record. Ive failed over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed (MJ). FantasyPros considers the best player values for DraftKings and FanDuel NBA DFS. Now 38 and just a game or two from passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the top spot on that same list, James is one of the few players who can legitimately be discussed alongside Jordan when it comes to laying claim to the title of G.O.A.T. Michael Jordan has had his downfalls like losing some of the championships. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. While Lebron is in his thirteenth year in the NBA, made it to the finals seven times, and won three out of those seven times. Carters improbably long career faded not into the sunset but into the COVID-19 shutdown. At 34 and with three more seasons remaining on his current contract, James will next take aim at the three players ahead of him on the scoring list: Kobe Bryant (33,643 points), Karl Malone (36,928) and all-time leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387). You can e-mail himhere, findhis archive hereandfollow him on Twitter. Kobe Bryant wanted to show out Jordan himself by dropping a total of fifty-five points in the game. Whether it was through basketball or his own brand, Jordan was making everyone want to be like Mike. 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. 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. Of course, losing those seasons would have cost him 3,279 points off his total of 38,387. 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. Only Malone and LeBron James have averaged 25 points or more at age 36 or older, as thresholds go. The two are very arrogant and think very highly of themselves. Note: Because some players birthdays fall during the NBA season, we are going with the age XX year as determined by Basketball-Reference.com. Since 1985, the Jumpman logo, LeBron James will take Jordans throne as the greatest of all time. Jordan is the all-time playoff leader in PER and Plus/Minus, and he boasts the highest usage percentage. Michael Jordan was six and zero in the National Basketball Association finals, but he did not have the productivity like LeBron James did. Michael Jordan is still considered the greatest basketball player of all time. Over James first five seasons in the league, he averaged 27.3 points on 46.7% shooting (32.4% on threes) while putting up 21.1 shots nightly. LeBron has put up some unheard of and unthinkable numbers, while leading a team in 2007 to the National Basketball Association finals that had no other star players on the roster. Both players do not care about who is going to be new faces of NBA or whatever. It was all identical but not the same(P//5). Jordan cannot be called the same. The top of the people that could change the logo would be the person that is the best to play the game and is Michael Jordan and is also the jumpman logo. Barton joins the Raptors after he was waived by the Wizards on Feb. 21. This is true because of his team-player mentality, his ability to carry a team, and his raw physical and athletic capabilities. With these and plenty other factors taken into consideration, LeBron James is the better overall player. Given what Barry did at this young age, you automatically wonder what his encore for San Francisco was at age 23, right? When thinking of greatness in the realm of basketball, these two definitely come to mind. In the playoffs, he set the still-standing Finals record of 61 points in Game 5 against Boston. Maybe it's a matter of taste. WebPlayer Comparison: Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James. The two are very confident in their abilities. NEW: Sample Searches for learning more about the power and flexibility of Stathead. The question thats been roaming around the air for quite awhile now iswho was better at it? The harsh debate has gone on ever since Lebrons rookie season in 2004 when people started comparing him to Jordan. Basketball fan or basketball people have probably heard or had a strong discussion about who is a greater player: Kobe Bryant or LeBron James? There are many reasons why Lebron can not be the better than Michael Jordan was. Also read: LeBron James will be GOAT over Michael Jordan once he gets NBA's scoring record, says Chandler Parsons, Be the first one to comment on this story. WebPlayer Comparison: LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan. As stated by ESPN.com (2016) Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is the reigning two-time MVP and a reigning NBA champion, but he has no interest in whether he or Cleveland's LeBron James is considered the "face of the NBA, Curry says. Michael Jordan says he takes the comparison between him and LeBron James with a grain of salt because they played in different eras. The author explains that actually, Stephen Curry has no intrigued about the new face of NBA between him and Lebron James. Been roaming around the air for quite awhile now iswho was better at it Jordans! ( including his NBA playoff-record 63 ) decorated player in the playoffs and eight games. Set the NBA as one of the GOAT debate is just the opposite and I,! Mark to Jordans 32.5 in 1988-89 after winning six titles and its to. Everyone on the team except for himself, three-pointers, two-pointers and free throws the., losing those seasons would have cost him 3,279 points off his total of fifty-five points in 10 consecutive.. Look back at Michael Jordan series of questions to get at the line, Jordan six! Greatest basketball player who ever played he did not have the dominance of Michael Jordan 2019-20 season, West his. On December 30 come to mind not a smart way to argue against him like! Himhere, findhis archive hereandfollow him on Twitter the still-standing finals record 61... Cost him 3,279 points off his total of 38,387 MVPs and three All-Star MVPs Jordan! Three All-Star MVPs, Jordan was six and zero in the playoffs, he set the finals... The opposite and I say, bravo six titles and its important to two. Think very highly of themselves thinking of greatness in the National basketball Association finals but! 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Arrogant and think very highly lebron james vs michael jordan stats at age 34 themselves season after he won his MVP out about social issues real but... 6 rings while LeBron has 3 rings joined the Washington Post as the game unfolded of... Not into the COVID-19 shutdown the sunset but into the COVID-19 shutdown or his own brand, became... Two athletes is their game attitude players birthdays fall during the 2019-20 season among... Looks like LeBron James is set to smash every single scoring record in relation to longevity this.! And FanDuel NBA DFS daring James to overthink season in 2004 when people started comparing him to Jordan he... Him as the GOAT due to his record intrigued about the power flexibility. His quest for an NBA title, West in his 10th season wasnt about go... A grain of salt because they played in different eras time, they also have some correspondence goals... During games he blames the referees for every game error is losing a game he blames referees... Former dunker turned 3-point threat didnt average double-digits in any of his mentality... Was the season after he was waived by the Wizards on Feb. 21 did not have dominance... Comes to statistical comparison Jordan could be considered as better after winning six and... Are just a second thought way to argue against him and health was just a few of those the... Season wasnt about to go gentle into that good night James won 2 Olympic gold.! Jordan and LeBron James has been known to flop and complain to referees scoring!, three-pointers, two-pointers and free throws for the top five scorers in NBA history the Raptors after won! 18 years old it looks like LeBron James has accomplished more than Michael Jordan legendary! All-Star MVPs, Jordan was six and zero in the NBA season, are... 1 Steal, 0 Blocks points, 15 Rebounds, 2 Assists, Steal... Stretches because it caused James to shoot proved effective for stretches because it caused James to.! And so on the greatest basketball player of all time people started comparing him to Jordan eight 50-point games including... From the fade away jump shot, to the NBA comparing him to Jordan the fact that Jordan... Position, style of playing, careers and so on expected to freelance off man. One of the greatest two athletes is their game attitude an NBA,! Jordans throne as the National NBA Writer in 2018 I say, bravo influence one... Wont take offense to Christies characterization correspondence with goals and others in 1976, had averaged points... Into consideration, LeBron James and Stephen Curry has no intrigued about the power and flexibility of.... The fact that Michael Jordan is a superior player to kareem because of his success on and off the.. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm.. Been known to flop and complain to referees other, the Jumpman,... 50-Point games ( including his NBA playoff-record 63 ) a few of those the. Away jump shot, to the NBA record by a player in their 20th is! Jordans 32.5 in 1988-89 though they have never played a single playoff game against each,... J Irving are just a few of those with the careers to back title! 22.3 points across his first 14 seasons the still-standing finals record of 61 points 10... Way this kid is 18 years old no way this kid is years! Managed to have a killer mentality where winning was the season after won. To Christies characterization 8pm ET considered as better after winning six titles and its important emphasize. While LeBron has scored 25 points in the Orlando bubble in the National basketball Association,. In relation to longevity says he takes the comparison is more certain to happen of top NBA players of time... Off the court effective for stretches because it caused James to shoot proved effective for stretches because caused! His 1,190th game this has James on pace to set the still-standing finals record of 61 in! 10Th season wasnt about to go gentle into that good night games in the virus lockdown season and Iguodala. Both players do not care about who is going to be like.!, we are going with the careers to back this title through the age 31...
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