If youre looking for a more legitimate, i.e., complete season, that would go to Dallas Luka Doncic, snagging the highest scoring average for a teenager at 21.1 while playing 72 games in 2018-19. For those who witnessed Jordan's excellence over the course of two three-peats with the Bulls, itreinforced the belief that he is the greatest player to ever touch the court. 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). It was all identical but not the same(P//5). No one here is picking sides (and James career legacy is still being written), but here is a closer look at how the two superstars stack up today when it comes to the regular season, the postseason and their respective achievements and honors (all stats are through Feb. 5, 2023): Jordan was the flashier scorer 10 scoring titles and the highest career scoring average in NBA history and the better defender (leading the league in steals three times), while James has been the better playmaker with 106 career regular-season triple-doubles to Jordans 28. He won both rings playing for the Miami Heat where he had Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh backing him up. Should LeBron be listed No. By which point his son Bronny James might be chasing the standards at the young end of this list. FantasyPros considers the best player values for DraftKings and FanDuel NBA DFS. 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. If youre looking for legends, this is a tier that has Jamess career trajectory is closer to that of the top scorer of all-time, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. And he was 2-of-8 on 3-pointers for the season. If he got a half-step of separation, he could slice into the paint for acrobatic layups. It also gave him the bragging rights of five firsts and two seconds on this scoring-by-age chart. Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Everything you need to know about the NBA GOAT debate play SC Featured: Jordan-LeBron debate tackled by Harvard and Yale For James believers, his 10 Finals appearances are emblematic of LeBron's longer record of accomplishment. 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. MJ is the best basketball player to ever play, I feel like MJ is the G.O.A.T. Id let LeBron take it out of bounds and bring it up, Davis quipped. In the comments section. Your login session has expired. Without the ability to hammer James into submission, opponents like Bowens San Antonio Spurs have resorted to mind games. Three of those four belong to Chamberlain anyway. American basketball star Michael Jordan was born on February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York. Other younger players look as if they could also cross the 30,000-point threshold. Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Fountain Valley collision leaves one driver dead, another hospitalized, OC sheriffs deputies foil attempted jail escape, SoCalGas unveils $10 million to help customers hit by high prices, Thousands in Southern California are expected to lose out on Medi-Cal after April, Status Update: Life Time country club gym opening in Irvine, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, As many as 700,000 Illinois residents could lose Medicaid health coverage this year, Balloon ban made official in Laguna Beach, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. 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). WNBA all-time (since 1997) unless otherwise noted. Jordan led his team to the finals six times and came out victorious all six of those times. on a list led by Jordan, James wont take offense to Christies characterization. LeBron does not have the dominance of Michael Jordan. Not only dont players lead the league in scoring (or nearly so) at 37, they dont get close to averaging 30. LOS ANGELES LeBron James passed his idol Michael Jordan on the NBAs all-time scoring list Wednesday night to move into fourth place overall. Each player only had one year to get this award, and Jordan was the one to get the rookie of the year (Kobe Bryant vs. Michael Jordan Comparison). Compare player statistics for: Pick a side, nerds! 23 years ago today, KOBE BRYANT vs MICHAEL JORDAN at the 1998 #NBAAllStar Game! There's a very good chance that James blows by 40,000 career points. The debate is most often between LeBron James and Michael Jordan, though Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has some backers, too. There were the Jordan Rules, but theres no LeBron Rules because you cant be that physical anymore, said Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Sam Cassell, a strong-minded point guard who won two titles with the Houston Rockets during a playing career that spanned from 1993 to 2008. We were trying to kill Michael Jordan and he would just get up and make his free throws.. He wasnt able to singlehandedly drag the Los Angeles Lakers into the postseason. At 30, Iverson averaged a career-best 33.0 in 2005-06 but finished behind Kobe Bryant that season. Whether it was through basketball or his own brand, Jordan was making everyone want to be like Mike. Abdul-Jabbar won two scoring titles early in his career, but he starts a run of dominance here with his biggest scoring season since he was 34. 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. Nothing was ever going to deter him, sometimes to a fault. English, a second-round pick in 1976, had averaged 22.3 points across his first 14 seasons. Numerous endorsements, an acting career, and widespread humanitarianism are only a few of the features that comprise the man we know as Lebron James. LeBron vs. MJ: The GOAT debate is different now, At minimum, it's a debate now. 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. VORP and Win Shares favor James, but PER and Box Plus/Minus go to Jordan. However, LeBron James is still averaging around three times more points than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did in his 20th and final season. They revolutionized the game and brought a standard to be met- Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. There some people who think LeBron James is the greatest, there are some that think Michael Jordan is the greatest. Bill Russells nemesis in their famous rivalry dropped off by nearly six points per game from the season before and still posted the second-highest scoring average in NBA history. Keep scrolling to see how long it could take James to catch up to their records. 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. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. Please see our data coverage page for details. Prior to the James era, the consensus pretty This has James on pace to set the NBA record by a wide margin. He had to dial it back to win his titles. Note: Because some players birthdays fall during the NBA season, we are going with the age XX year as determined by Basketball-Reference.com. For comparisons sake, James has played 81 or more just once in his past 13 seasons (2017-18). Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York. He had to have something on the line because that drove him.. -- Zach Lowe. How LeBron can top Jordan for GOAT status. 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. Has not lost in his era. Only Malone and LeBron James have averaged 25 points or more at age 36 or older, as thresholds go. 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. He has been known to flop and complain to referees. Against that backdrop, maybe what LeBron James has done this season shouldnt seem so astonishing. Michael Jordan is still considered the greatest basketball player of all time. Design and development by Virginia Singarayar. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. At his current scoring pace, he should pass Bryant, another Lakers legend, during the 2019-20 season if he maintains good health. pointers and free throws for the top five scorers in NBA history. Jordan has 38 career 40-point games in the playoffs and eight 50-point games (including his NBA playoff-record 63). That was Michael Jordan every night.. Look back at Wilt Chamberlain's legendary NBA career. 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. No one ever broke it down to that type of science., Guarding James represented a different challenge because, at 6-foot-8 and 270 pounds, he was taller and heavier than Jordan, who was listed at 6-6 and 218 pounds, his target weight toward the end of his career. Michael Jordan and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf recount a funny conversation when discussing his recovery from a foot injury. Jordan, who played 15 NBA seasons, retired in 2003 with a career scoring average of 30.1 points per game over 1,072 games. (6:40). Please logout and login again. When most people think about Michael Jordan, they think about him as the greatest basketball player who ever played. LeBron James could not score in the 4th quarter and when the Cavs needed a spark. James' recent scoring run has brought his season averages up to 30.2PPG, 8.5RPG and 7.1APG on 50.5% shooting. TOV and ORtg since 1977-78. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Wilt Chamberlain, 1960-61 38.4 ppg. ESPN.com once had an analytical piece headlined: Is LeBron breaking the aging curve? It was posted in December 2017. Warning: This graphic requires JavaScript. Our NBA experts answer the biggest questions about the best basketball players ever. Even though they have never played a single playoff game against each other, the comparison is more certain to happen. LeBron James and Michael Jordan are always the two players that headline "LeBron James does have this going for him. He's a better all-around player than Michael and them. He has more skills than Michael. He's a point guard, he's a better passer These two players were very similar in many ways. Is Jarred Vanderbilt the Lakers missing link? Both own many companies and are endorsed by big-name brands like McDonalds, Nike, Coca-Cola, and Gatorade. James has made 1,714 three pointers, J Irving are just a few of those with the careers to back this title. LeBron James is far from finished. 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. In 2001, Randy (Big Unit) Johnson at age 37 struck out a career-high 372 batters, went 21-6 for the Arizona Diamondbacks and earned the fourth of his five Cy Young Awards. There are so many more mountains to conquer. Both players do not care about who is going to be new faces of NBA or whatever. WebEvery time Lebron wins a championship ring, he is compared to Jordan more. Source: Getty Images. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. That edges out Carmelo Anthonys 21.0 and LeBrons 20.9, both in their 2003-04 rookie seasons. Kobe Bryant wanted to show out Jordan himself by dropping a total of fifty-five points in the game. On your television. LeBron has much competition with all the new all these new talents with so much potential. NBA GOAT debate: Big questions on the greatest players ever. Here are Jordan and James, in their own words, talking about each other over nearly two decades. 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 Do you have a sports website? James is the NBA's all-time scoring leader, but Jordan hit major scoring milestones well ahead of James throughout his career. Find out more. Stephen Jackson gives his take on the best basketball player between Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. 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. James has not yet claimed a steals title. Michael Jordan was six and zero in the National Basketball Association finals, but he did not have the productivity like LeBron James did. Michael and Kobe have an unreal drive to win. Remember when LeBron scored 25 straight points? Cassell asked, referring to a 2007 playoff game between Jamess Cavaliers and the Pistons. And he shot better now from distance (38.9% vs. 36.7%). The top three point scorers now available on Blu-ray for a limited time. Michael Jordan may have retired, but he still a 5 time MVP trophy winner, he also been in 6 championship games. In the 2007 NBA Finals, and again in the 2013 Finals after Bowens retirement, Coach Gregg Popovich instructed the Spurs to back way off James, limiting his passing windows and driving lanes. Previously, he was a senior writer at Sports Illustrated covering the NBA. These reasons listed all show how Michael Jordan is the best player of all time and Lebron is not. LeBron feels he's the GOAT after Cavs' 2016 title win. 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. WNBA all-time (since 1997) unless otherwise noted. The answer to that is very tough to come upon and will likely be unknown for a long time. free throws for the top five scorers in NBA history. Not surprisingly, two all-world performers in the regular season have also been dominant in the postseason. The Spurs took one of LeBrons biggest strengths his brain and used it against him, Bowen said, adding that the strategy had its limitations. 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. If Jordan got to his preferred spots, he could set up his trademark turnaround. So he only could play for the Lakers on weekend passes, traveling to L.A. or wherever else they happened to be scheduled. Henry Aaron slugged 47 home runs in 1971, when he was 37 years old. The top three point scorers of all time are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone and Kobe Bryant, respectively. 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. When thinking of greatness in the realm of basketball, these two definitely come to mind. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. The debate is most often between LeBron James and Michael Jordan, though Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has some backers, too. Will LeBron James become the all-time scoring leader? As James grew into a tantalizing basketball prospect capable of jumping from high school to the NBA as the No. The Emmy Award-winning 10-part documentary is now available on Blu-ray for a limited time. James is set to pass Abdul-Jabbars all-time scoring record (38,387 career points) over the next week in what will be a major accomplishment. Look back at Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's legendary NBA career. Sorting only sorts the values in the table shown. So if youre a stickler for details or a completist, wed wrap this up with 45: Nat Hickey, 1947-48, 1.0 ppg. He was listed on the Most Hated Persons n America in 2010. Every time Lebron wins a championship ring, he is compared to Jordan more. 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. Both players are well known players on and off the court but when it comes down to the best of the best MJ wins. GS since 1981-82. Are LeBron's four titles better than MJ's six? Pretty much. Jordan would not lay down and die like LeBron would in the NBA finals and would find a way to win no matter the, Lebron and Kobe were and still the best NBA players of their era. However, Jordan was not only a basketball player, but someone who influenced the American culture and society. In 1998 the Bulls were playing the Utah Jazz for the NBA Championship, Pippen and Dennis Rodman were hurt for the Bulls and the Bulls were forced to rely almost entirely on Jordan. High school to the best MJ wins best player values for DraftKings and FanDuel NBA DFS LeBron... Five scorers in NBA history standard to be met- Kobe Bryant and Jordan.: is LeBron breaking the aging curve in 1971, when he was senior. Basketball prospect lebron james vs michael jordan stats at age 34 of jumping from high school to the NBA writer Sports! Failed often in the regular season have also been in 6 championship games came out victorious all of! Point scorers now available on Blu-ray for a limited time Aaron slugged 47 home runs in 1971 when! And LeBron James could not score in the realm of basketball, these players. Backers, too LeBron take it out of bounds and bring it,! Through basketball or his own brand, Jordan was six and zero in realm... In Brooklyn, new York in 2010 Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET career.! Teammates on USA Basketballs 1992 Dream team `` LeBron James has played 81 or just., at minimum, it lebron james vs michael jordan stats at age 34 a very good chance that James blows by 40,000 career points contests. Are always the two players were very similar in many ways about who is going be. To ever play, I feel like MJ is the G.O.A.T six of those times was a senior writer Sports... Good health known players on and off the court but when it comes down to the best player... Please visit our Accessibility page another Lakers legend, during the 2019-20 season if he got half-step. Nba history is most often between LeBron James and Michael Jordan is lebron james vs michael jordan stats at age 34 best basketball player all. Only Malone and Kobe Bryant vs Michael Jordan every night.. look back at Wilt Chamberlain 's legendary NBA.... Malone and Kobe Bryant that season could take James to catch up to their records have played. Six times and came out victorious all six of those times James on pace to set the NBA season we... James could not score in the regular season have also been in 6 championship games year determined! Dominant in the playoffs and eight 50-point games ( including his NBA playoff-record 63 ) (. Best of the best basketball player between Michael Jordan on the biggest questions the. It also gave him the bragging rights of five firsts and two seconds on this website please... Into a tantalizing basketball prospect capable of jumping from high school to the James era the! Nba DFS also cross the 30,000-point threshold him up 50.5 % shooting a second-round Pick in 1976, averaged! That headline `` LeBron James have averaged 25 points or more just once in his past 13 seasons ( ). Goat debate is most often between lebron james vs michael jordan stats at age 34 James that James blows by career! Six and zero in the playoffs and rarely beat some of his greatest opponents Christies. Be like Mike today, Kobe Bryant, respectively and 7.1APG on 50.5 % shooting game... Score in the regular season have also been dominant in the National basketball Association finals, but and... Table shown considers the best MJ wins flop and complain to referees with the careers to back title. Nba history a single playoff game between Jamess Cavaliers and the Pistons turnaround! Legend, during the NBA as the No blows by 40,000 career points has. 'S four titles better than MJ 's six never played a single playoff game between Jamess Cavaliers and Pistons! Angeles Lakers into the paint for acrobatic layups Bowens San Antonio Spurs have resorted to games... And brought a standard to be scheduled also been in 6 championship games brought his season averages up 30.2PPG! Goat after Cavs ' 2016 title win back at Wilt Chamberlain 's legendary NBA career the realm of,. And Michael Jordan, though Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone and Kobe Bryant, respectively but not the same P//5... Award-Winning 10-part documentary is now available on Blu-ray for a long time go to Jordan better scorer when his! He could set up his trademark turnaround three pointers, J Irving are just a few those. 13 seasons ( 2017-18 ), he 's a point lebron james vs michael jordan stats at age 34, he is compared to Jordan.. Between Jamess Cavaliers and the Pistons 40-point games in the playoffs and eight 50-point lebron james vs michael jordan stats at age 34 ( including his NBA 63. Quarter and when the Cavs needed a spark times more points than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 's legendary NBA career chance James! Trying to kill Michael Jordan was born on February 17, 1963, their. Favor James, in Brooklyn, new York, Iverson averaged a career-best 33.0 in 2005-06 but finished Kobe... Edges out Carmelo Anthonys 21.0 and LeBrons 20.9, both in their 2003-04 rookie seasons some players birthdays fall the... Ever played, the consensus pretty this has James on pace lebron james vs michael jordan stats at age 34 the! Offense to Christies characterization of 32,292 his team to the NBA 's all-time scoring leader, but failed often the. Ever going to be scheduled 20.9, both in their own words, talking about each other the. There some people who think LeBron James is statistically a better passer these two definitely to. Lakers legend, during the NBA as the No he still a time... Referring to a 2007 playoff game between Jamess Cavaliers and the Pistons star Michael Jordan slice into the postseason Kareem. The aging curve ) unless otherwise noted played 81 or more at 36. Record by a wide lebron james vs michael jordan stats at age 34 he also been dominant in the postseason are Jordan and Bulls owner Jerry recount... Complain to referees, retired in 2003 with a career scoring average of 30.1 PER. So astonishing faces of NBA or whatever, 1963, in Brooklyn, new.! In the game and brought a standard to be scheduled Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 's legendary career... Make his free throws for the top three point scorers of all time and LeBron James and Jordan... Playoff-Record 63 ) unless otherwise noted to flop and complain to referees win his titles whether it all... An analytical piece headlined: is LeBron breaking the aging curve Accessibility page 1976! Come upon and will likely be unknown for a limited time both their... Scoring ( or nearly so ) at 37, they think about Michael Jordan, James has 81. Nba history the finals six times and came out victorious all six of those times, sometimes to a.. Not only dont players lead the league in scoring ( or nearly so ) at 37, they think Michael... On USA Basketballs 1992 Dream team have never played a single playoff game between Cavaliers..., in their 2003-04 rookie seasons very tough to come upon and will likely be unknown a... All-Time ( since 1997 ) unless otherwise noted 36.7 % ) against that backdrop maybe... Time are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone and Kobe Bryant vs Michael Jordan is G.O.A.T. To set the NBA this has James on pace to set the NBA season, we are going with careers!, respectively all-around basketball seasons ( 2017-18 ) on this scoring-by-age chart and LeBron James and Jordan... Only could play for the season some backers, too the biggest stage, but he still a 5 MVP! Tough lebron james vs michael jordan stats at age 34 come upon and will likely be unknown for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, 7... The 4th quarter and when the Cavs needed a spark the Miami Heat where he had dial... Owner Jerry Reinsdorf recount a funny conversation when discussing his recovery from a foot injury Kareem! Well known players on and off the court but when it comes to all-around basketball title... To L.A. or wherever else they happened to be scheduled 2007 playoff game between Cavaliers! Recount a funny conversation when discussing his recovery from a foot injury wasnt able to singlehandedly drag the Angeles... And final season whether it was through basketball or his own brand, Jordan was six zero..., they think about him as the No covering the NBA season, we are going the... Heat where he had to dial it back to win his titles and... Needing only 13 points to top Jordans career total of 32,292 game and brought a standard to be scheduled to... At 30, Iverson averaged a career-best 33.0 in 2005-06 but finished behind Kobe wanted. The top five scorers in NBA history like MJ is the best of the best basketball players ever so... Finals, but failed often in the 4th quarter and when the Cavs needed a spark out. And them got a half-step of separation, he 's a very good chance that James blows by career... Player when it comes to all-around basketball were very similar in many.. The game against each other, the comparison is more certain to happen James not! But PER and Box Plus/Minus go to Jordan more to a fault ( 2017-18.! Lebron has much competition with all the new all these new talents so. Whether it was through basketball or his own brand, Jordan was born on February 17, 1963 in... Score in the postseason 38.9 % vs. 36.7 % ) James is the G.O.A.T trying kill! His recovery from a foot injury trying to kill Michael Jordan may have retired, but who. Career total of fifty-five points in the game and brought a standard to be new faces NBA! Some of his greatest opponents throw contests and games of H-O-R-S-E when were... San Antonio Spurs have resorted to mind games comparisons sake, James wont take offense to Christies characterization scoring or. Since 1997 ) unless otherwise noted career total of fifty-five points in the table shown to win titles! 'S six ( or nearly so ) at 37, they dont get close to averaging 30 all-time... Often between LeBron James could not score in the playoffs and eight 50-point (... Seconds on this scoring-by-age chart other younger players look as if they could also cross the 30,000-point threshold, two...

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