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LeBron James and Michael Jordan are the two of the most popular basketball players in NBA history. Countless critics, fans and coaches have argued about who is the better player between the two and who should be named the GOAT. However, there is no straightforward answer.
Let's break down the debate and see who might be the better GOAT.
Who has more NBA championships?
Let's get this out of the way. Michael Jordan went to six NBA Finals, won six NBA championships and had six NBA Finals MVPs. This is the single most repeated line for Jordan's case as the GOAT. On the other hand, LeBron James has been to 10 NBA Finals and only won four with four NBA Finals MVPs, which means James has lost in six finals.
While most Jordan fans believe that the debate ends here, it might not necessarily be the case. James fans argue that going to more NBA Finals is not a sign of failure but rather of success. At least, when you choose to accept that Jordan was in the NBA for 15 seasons instead of just the six where he won.
Furthermore, James fans argue that the NBA is far more competitive today than it ever was. The Golden State Warriors team that LeBron James defeated after coming back from down 3-1 in the NBA Finals had the best regular-season record of all time at 73-9.
After this terrible loss, the Warriors added Kevin Durant — an all-time great player who is arguably the best scorer of all time — to their roster in the following season. While James lost to this squad, there is no telling if Jordan's team could've beat them either.
Finally, fans argue that championships themselves are a poor metric to crown a GOAT because if titles are indeed the metric, then Bill Russell would be the goat.
Clearly, if LeBron James or Michael Jordan has to be the NBA's GOAT, then we cannot simply look at just NBA championships. There has to be more to the debate.
Who has more NBA accolades?
Let's compare the major accolades of LeBron James and Michael Jordan.
Michael Jordan:
- 5-time MVP
- 3-time All-Star MVP
- 1-time DPOY
- 1-time ROTY
- 10-time scoring champion
- 3-time Steals Leader
LeBron James:
- 4-time MVP
- 3-time All-Star MVP
- 1-time ROTY
- 1-time Assists Leader
- 1-time scoring champion
- All-time leading scorer
If you look at the major accolades that the two players have had, there isn't much distinction. While Jordan has an extra MVP to his name, James could've and should've easily won that when he got robbed in 2011.
In 2011, LeBron James led Derrick Rose in points per game, field-goal percentage, 3-point shooting, rebounds, steals and blocks. However, Rose won the MVP award because the voters were reportedly sick of James winning it every year.
The only other stark difference on the list is that Jordan was a 10-time scoring leader as opposed to LeBron James' one. This makes a whole lot of sense because Jordan is considered a much greater scorer than LeBron James.
However, fans of James argue that James has more responsibility to carry. James is asked to be the primary playmaker for his team while Jordan was simply asked to score.
This is the primary reason why most people argue that while Jordan is the best scorer of all time, LeBron James is the best player of all time. James is argued to be the more well-rounded basketball player.
Fans, however, further argue that despite LeBron James not being a score-first player, he is still the NBA's all-time scoring leader. Yes, LeBron James did indeed pass Kareem-Abdul Jabbar as the scoring leader which many believe to have crowned him as the GOAT.
The argument here was that if LeBron James is a better all-time scorer than Jordan, and Jordan's only job was to score, then James is the GOAT because he anyway outperforms Jordan in most of the other stats.
While there are arguments for both players, there doesn't seem to be a clear edge for either player. That said, the all-time scoring record is not one to be taken lightly albeit it is a longevity award.
Who is the GOAT?
The championships and the accolades do not do justice to the GOAT debate. Neither do the off-court accomplishments because both Jordan and James have served as the face of the league for extended periods of time and amassed huge wealth.
There is an argument on the clutch time performances but it has been heavily skewed against LeBron, not based on numbers but rather on people's opinion. Depending on what stats you look at, either player could have the advantage in clutch situations.
Even the eye test doesn't seem to do it. Most Jordan fans say he is better in the eye test. And, most LeBron fans say that he is better in the eye test. Neither party seems to move from their stance.
That said, the only logical understanding of the situation is that Michael Jordan was the original GOAT and mostly everybody agreed to it until LeBron James showed up.
So, as far as LeBron goes, he had to convince people against Jordan. That said, there will probably never be a scenario where LeBron James is able to convince 100% of the people. Thus, the GOAT debate is becoming more of a generational question.
If you grew up in the late 1900s, chances are that Jordan is your GOAT. If you grew up in the 2000s, chances are LeBron is your GOAT. While there will always be anomalies, this conclusion seems to be true as this was the first year where incoming rookies picked James as their GOAT and this could quite possibly be the new trend.
For now, we will have to settle with this conclusion as LeBron James continues to write his legacy and continues to change the minds of players and fans around the world.
