Now that Lebron has surpassed Kareem as the all-time scoring leader, the LEBRON vs. JORDAN debate has flared up again. Let’s break it down.
Finals appearances- LEBRON-10 (and counting?), JORDAN-6
Record in Finals- LEBRON 4-6, JORDAN 6-0
Jordan never lost in the Finals… in fact, he never even came close to losing, having never been pushed to a Game 7. Lebron has lost 6 times in the Finals, some of them in ugly fashion. But to be fair, some of those teams, the ’07 Cavaliers in particular, had no business even being there. Lebron getting the ’07 Cavs to the Finals is the equivalent of Jordan getting one of his late-80’s Bulls teams to the Finals, a feat he did NOT accomplish. And Lebron went to 9 Finals in 10 years. He’s been to the Finals HALF of his career, a feat that only members of the ’60s Boston Celtics and ’80s Los Angeles Lakers can best. I see pros and cons on both sides of this portion of the debate.
Career statistics
Lebron, as mentioned before, is now the all-time scoring leader. He’s also top 4 in assists. These are a testament to both his longevity and superiority. He’s AVERAGED about 27 points per game for 20 years! And in year 20, he’s hovering around 30 POINTS PER GAME. Jordan was playing baseball for the majority of 2 prime years at the height of his career, and was away from basketball again for 3 years in his late 30’s. Overall, he averaged 30 points for his career, a career in which the bulk of it was during the late 80’s and 90’s, where scoring was way down compared to today’s game. I am of the opinion that if prime Jordan played right now, he’d average 35-40 points per game. I’m sure he would improve his outside shot, to go along with his unmatched midrange game and his ability to attack the rim. He’s also near the top of the list in all-time steals, and if there is a statistic to measure your defensive impact, Jordan is in a league of his own.
Winning
Lebron got his team to the Finals quicker and more often, but also had some playoff failures at times in which he had the superior team and was the marquee player. And while it took Jordan longer to get to winning championships, it seemed he did that for the better part of a decade… until Father Time caught up with him. I can’t even close my eyes and imagine ’91-93 or ’96-98 Jordan losing in the championship. Jordan also had a lesser supporting cast early on and did more with less. Lebron kept running into dynasty teams (Tim Duncan’s Spurs and Steph Curry’s Warriors) in the Finals, and while Jordan’s foes were formidable, they weren’t all-time teams by any means. I also feel that Jordan did more with less… yes, he had Scottie Pippen and later on Dennis Rodman, but Lebron has teamed up with Shaq, Dwayne Wade, Kyrie Irvin, Chris Bosh, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, and more. Lebron has had more help, whereas Jordan took what was there and made more out of it.
Defense
Jordan by a mile. Yes, there are statistics for defense, most notably steals and blocks, but there’s no stat for intensity or disruption. Jordan led the league in steals multiple times and is widely regarded as one of the best perimeter defenders of all time. Lebron is definitely a very good defender, and because of his size he’s a more versatile defender… but I’ve seen him play with little to no defensive intensity, whereas Jordan was always fully engaged. Jordan would score 30, and his opponent would score in single digits. I’ve always been puzzled when we celebrate a player’s scoring but ignore that their opponent would score just as much (James Harden, anyone?).
Longevity
Lebron definitely has the nod here. There’s barely been a decline in the level of Lebron’s play over 20 years. On the flipside, late-80’s Jordan and late-90’s Jordan are two different animals. Jordan’s game relies more on quickness and speed, and these are at the top of the list of traits that Father Time takes away from you. Lebron sometimes just flat out bulls his way to the hoop, dropping a shoulder and daring you to stop him. That type of play can be sustained longer than crossovers and leaping.
Eye Test
Both players are amongst the more exciting and entertaining players to ever play, but Jordan gets more ‘WOW’ points here. Both have buzzer-beating playoff winners, both have last-minute defensive plays to win the game, both have hours of jaw-dropping dunk highlights. Advantage Jordan, but not by as much as some might think.
Might be just me…
I am not a fan of the new norm in basketball that you hop from team-to-team until it works. If the #1 guy teams up with #2 and #3 guys in the league, they should win the championship, and more often than not they don’t. Team chemistry is a thing, and it usually starts with the best player. Jordan made Bill Cartwright, Will Perdue, Bill Wennington, BJ Armstrong and others into vital pieces of championship teams. Lebron usually jumps to a team with stars already in place or lures them from other teams to join him in his quest. There’s no stat to measure this, but advantage Jordan in my opinion.
Overall, my vote still goes to Jordan. BUT, Lebron is the first one to legitimately make this a conversation… even Kobe, in my opinion, was similar but inferior to Jordan. A legitimate case can be made for Lebron, and if he wins another ring, this discussion will get even more interesting. And I’m just as guilty of ignoring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in this debate… 6 championships, a fistful of MVPs, 2nd all-time in scoring, the SKYHOOK… don’t forget the Captain.