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Michael Jordan and LeBron James are arguably the two greatest players in basketball history. Some prefer Jordan, while others think that James is the G.O.A.T.
Rapper and media personality Joe Budden sparked more controversy when he proclaimed that "The King" played against better competition than "His Airness." Budden argued on his podcast that James had to go through better teams than Jordan.
"Every team LeBron beat is way better than all the teams that Jordan beat," Budden said. "Roll 'em all in a pack and smoke 'em. All of them teams is trash, stop it. Utah twice, Karl Malone, stop it. The Sonics, stop it.
"Stop it, he beat up on f**king Dale Ellis and them, shut the f**k up. He don't know what it's like when some killers walk in the gym. Oh sh*t that's Klay, oh sh*t that's Steph, Draymond. Oh sh*t, Durant there too. N****s just wildin' over there."
It's true that there are more talented players in the NBA today compared to the 1980s and 1990s. It's tough to gage, however, if Michael Jordan or LeBron James had better competition during their careers.
Jordan had to go through Magic Johnson and the LA Lakers, and Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics in the 1980s. He was consistently beaten up by Isiah Thomas and the Detroit Pistons before sweeping them in 1991. He also defeated Johnson and the Lakers to claim his first NBA championship.
"His Airness" also faced teams with Hall of Famers in each of his NBA Finals appearances. Clyde Drexler led the Portland Trail Blazers, while Charles Barkley was the MVP for the Phoenix Suns. Jordan faced Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and the Seattle SuperSonics in 1996.
In 1997 and 1998, Jordan and the Chicago Bulls faced John Stockton, Karl Malone and the Utah Jazz. Other talented teams in the Eastern Conference during Jordan's run include the Reggie Miller-led Indiana Pacers, Patrick Ewing and the New York Knicks, and the Orlando Magic's duo of Penny Hardaway and Shaquille O'Neal.
It's also worth mentioning that Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets won two championships in Jordan's absence due to retirement. David Robinson and the San Antonio Spurs were also a great team in the 1990s.
LeBron James faced great teams during his career
LeBron James had to go through some of the best teams in NBA history. He faced Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals early in his career. He had to go through tough Eastern Conference teams such as the "Big Three" Boston Celtics, Dwayne Wade's Miami Heat and the tough 2000s Detroit Pistons.
During his prime, James faced off against Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. He won his first championship against a trio of future MVPs for the OKC Thunder. He exacted his revenge on the Spurs in 2013, but lost the rubber match the following year.
When "The King" returned to Cleveland, the Toronto Raptors, Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics were full of All-Stars. However, his toughest matchup will always be the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and later on Kevin Durant, faced James four straight times and won three of them.
