Curiously, his 10th scoring crown came with his lowest average of the bunch, but it was enough to edge Shaquille ONeals 28.3 that season. Every time Lebron wins a championship ring, he is compared to Jordan more. Look back at Wilt Chamberlain's legendary NBA career. This season marked the sixth of Chamberlains seven straight scoring titles. Is Jarred Vanderbilt the Lakers missing link? They revolutionized the game and brought a standard to be met- Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. He only been in the NBA for three years so he still have some time to get better and improve his team. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 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. And hes aged gracefully by becoming a much more effective and prolific outside shooter. 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. Michael Jordan has 6 rings while LeBron has 3 rings. Some stats were available earlier in the ABA. Hes great at baiting the defense and making plays for his teammates. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting. 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 was leading the Cavs in his 2003-2010 season, but never got them a championship, LeBron was very close though. Given the title Air-Jordan, winning dunk competitions, and bring joy to many fans watching his hunger for winning. Not surprisingly, two all-world performers in the regular season have also been dominant in the postseason. He won both rings playing for the Miami Heat where he had Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh backing him up. If the more dominate player already isnt clear, its Michael, Who is the greatest basketball player of all time? In terms of longevity, James holds a clear advantage. Jordan, who played 15 NBA seasons, retired in 2003 with a career scoring average of 30.1 points per game over 1,072 games. In LeBrons first game, they threw the ball to him in the post, Christie said. Has not lost in his era. It really is. Christie, Cassell and Smith all agreed with Bowen that Jordan, not James, should get the ball with the season on the line. Daring James to shoot proved effective for stretches because it caused James to overthink. Makes it hard to guard someone that big and athletic, while on the other hand Kobe scores so smoothly off the pull up of post up game and so more, Lebron James won 2 rings for winning the championship. He can take seemingly lackluster players like Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith, who suffered on other teams, and make them play to their full capability and beyond. Their free throw output is very close; Jordan made 7,327 and LeBron has made 7,101. Michael Jordan averaged 30.1 points per game over his career the highest in NBA history. 27.3 Player Efficiency Rating (PER) 27.9, 145.9 Value Over Replacement (VORP) 116.1. There are many factors that influence this decision whether it be their raw stats or their championship rings. 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. There was no rest, Bowen said. However, Jordan has been much more loved by the fans than LeBron. (Greatest of All Time). LeBron James passes Michael Jordan in career field goals James now trails Wilt (12,681) for No. However, it looks like LeBron James is set to smash every single scoring record in relation to longevity. For the record, were clipping off this list here. Guys were smoking cigarettes at halftime in his early days.. This still doesn't change the fact that Michael Jordan and LeBron James won 2 Olympic gold medals. M.J. Id put him near 50, said Smith, adding that Jordan could have played for 20 seasons if he absorbed less contact throughout his career. LeBron Jamesis currently the fourth-leadingscorer in NBA history, 19 points ahead ofMichael Jordan, who holds the No. Two exceptional talents. Michael Jordan and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf recount a funny conversation when discussing his recovery from a foot injury. 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. Per 36 minutes this season, his 15.2 scoring wasnt much off his 19.4 pro-rated rate nine years earlier. Jordan and Lebron, Mike and the King, have been exalted above all other players, repeatedly for their superior play and championship drive. LeBron has left his hometown and his team in Miami suddenly leaving many fans angry for deserting them. Or 44, easily, guessed Cassell. Design and development by Virginia Singarayar. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. 2 scorer (Paul George, 28.0) was greater than from George to No. James is in his 16th season and, at 34, likely has several years left. Both players are well known players on and off the court but when it comes down to the best of the best MJ wins. Jordan didnt bother to bait anyone. Stephen Jackson settles MJ-Kobe-LeBron GOAT debate, Stephen A.: LeBron can't be GOAT playing in NBA's softest era, Jordan: Comparison between LeBron and me will always be there, SC Featured: Jordan-LeBron debate tackled by Harvard and Yale (6:40), Everything you need to know about the NBA GOAT debate, V. 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English, a second-round pick in 1976, had averaged 22.3 points across his first 14 seasons. Has not lost in his era. TOV and ORtg since 1977-78. When most people think about Michael Jordan, they think about him as the greatest basketball player who ever played. Armand Emamdjomeh makes data visualizations, maps and graphics. Then, Id have him give it to Jordan and let Jordan go to work.. Jordan had the drive and edge over his opponents to win games. This was the only by-age slot for James until this season. Jordan cannot be called the same. Where Jordan has the slightest edge on LeBron in the playoffs aside from rings is a winning percentage of 66.5% with a record of 119-60. Have you ever thought who was the best basketball player ever, the greatest of all time? Nearly a third of Hardens points this season (10.2) came from the foul line, his career-high on freebies. Here are the top scorers, by average, for every NBA age: Check out the top 10 plays from Kobe Bryant's rookie season. 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. free throws for the top five scorers in NBA history. this season The question thats been roaming around the air for quite awhile now iswho was better at it? Jordan won six NBA championships compared to Kobes five and Jordan was the finals MVP five times while Kobe was once (Kobe Bryant vs. Michael Jordan Comparison). This is the big one regardless of age, the season after which if Chamberlain had been hitting free agency the Philadelphia Warriors owner would have skipped contract formalities and simply called him partner. How would you pay someone today who averaged 50 points, almost 26 rebounds and 48.5 minutes? Three of those four belong to Chamberlain anyway. Bowen recalled how Jordan would bend into a Crouching Tiger stance as defenders approached, preparing to burst into a move or shot. They both just want to be the best teammates for their own teams. However, Jordan was not only a basketball player, but someone who influenced the American culture and society. Jordans Bulls were favored to win all six times they reached the Finals, but James teams were the betting underdog seven of 10 times. Most people say Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan is the greatest player in the National Basketball Association (N.B.A) but who is better, Majority of people would say Kobe Bryant is a better player than Michael Jordan. Like Jordan, whom Johnson said displayed a maniacal work ethic during Dream Team workouts and practices, James has fully committed to his craft, spending an estimated $1.5 million per year to maintain his body. Six rings. 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. Through the age of 31, LeBron James has accomplished more than Michael Jordan did through his 19 year career. Stay up to date on the race for Kia NBA MVP with a look at the latest performances from the top candidates. Look back at Karl Malone's legendary NBA career. However, no players have been debated more than Michael Jordan and Lebron James. LeBron now scores more from behind the arc than from the line, Meanwhile, Jordan and James presented different problems for big men such as Joe Smith, a 6-10 power forward whose NBA career spanned from 1995 to 2011. 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-. This one probably merits an asterisk, because the New Orleans strongman only played in 24 games his first season. James would have to play in nearly 60 games at his current scoring pace to pass Kobe Bryant, at 33,543 points. 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