The ESPN documentary sequence “The Last Dance” confirmed a youthful era of NBA followers that Michael Jordan is far more than a man who sells retro sneakers. For those that witnessed Jordan’s greatness over the course of two three-peats with the Bulls, it bolstered the perception he’s the best participant to ever contact the courtroom.
A present star has difficult that GOAT (best of all time) dialog, after all. There is an argument to be made for placing LeBron James over Jordan, and James’ case solely grew stronger after he led the Lakers previous the Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals.
MORE: The best MJ recreation you undoubtedly do not keep in mind
Sporting News’ Bill Bender has a useful information with the most essential speaking factors if you’re prepared to talk about MJ vs. LeBron, however we’re merely right here to present the details you need to justify your alternative. Don’t be the particular person yelling “six rings” with no backup plan.
Here’s a better take a look at the place the GOAT debate stands …
(All stats present as of Feb. 17, 2021)
Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Regular season stats
Jordan is superior in the scoring division, however James grabs rebounds and dishes out assists at a better fee. While each gamers are identified for tenacious protection on the wing, Jordan completed first in the league in steals thrice in his profession. James has not but claimed a steals title.
In phrases of longevity, James holds a transparent benefit. The hole in complete numbers will widen so long as James stays wholesome, and he does not seem to be slowing down at age 36.
| Jordan | Per Game | LeBron |
| 30.1 | Points | 27.0 |
| 6.2 | Rebounds | 7.5 |
| 5.3 | Assists | 7.4 |
| 2.3 | Steals | 1.6 |
| 0.8 | Blocks | 0.8 |
| 2.7 | Turnovers | 3.5 |
| 38.3 | Minutes | 38.3 |
| 49.7 | Field objective % | 50.4 |
| 32.7 | 3-point % | 34.5 |
| 83.5 | Free throw % | 73.4 |
| Jordan | Totals | LeBron |
| 1,072 | Games | 1,294 |
| 32,292 | Points | 34,985 |
| 6,672 | Rebounds | 9,642 |
| 5,633 | Assists | 9,576 |
| 2,514 | Steals | 2,045 |
| 893 | Blocks | 972 |
| 2,924 | Turnovers | 4,532 |
| 41,011 | Minutes | 49,557 |
Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Regular season superior stats
It’s all about which class you select when it comes to superior statistics. VORP and Win Shares favor James, however PER and Box Plus/Minus go to Jordan.
Pick a aspect, nerds! (That’s a time period of endearment.)
| Jordan | Advanced | LeBron |
| 27.9 | Player Efficiency Rating | 27.4 |
| 116.1 | Value Over Replacement | 136.0 |
| 9.2 | Box Plus/Minus | 8.9 |
| 214.0 | Win Shares | 240.6 |
| 56.9 | True Shooting % | 58.6 |
| 33.3 | Usage % | 31.5 |
Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Playoff stats
The playoff statistics mirror what Jordan and James produce throughout the common season. Despite James’ elevated utilization and effectivity from past the arc over the course of his profession, it is price noting he shoots about the similar share as Jordan from 3-point vary.
Oh, and the lazy narrative claiming James shrinks in huge video games — his postseason traces are sometimes extra spectacular than his regular-season performances. That’s not a sensible means to argue towards him.
| Jordan | Playoffs Per Game | LeBron |
| 33.4 | Points | 28.8 |
| 6.4 | Rebounds | 9.0 |
| 5.7 | Assists | 7.2 |
| 2.1 | Steals | 1.7 |
| 0.9 | Blocks | 1.0 |
| 3.1 | Turnovers | 3.7 |
| 41.8 | Minutes | 41.6 |
| 48.7 | Field objective % | 49.6 |
| 33.2 | 3-point % | 33.5 |
| 82.8 | Free throw % | 74.1 |
| Jordan | Playoff Totals | LeBron |
| 179 | Games | 260 |
| 5,987 | Points | 7,491 |
| 1,152 | Rebounds | 2,348 |
| 1,022 | Assists | 1,871 |
| 376 | Steals | 445 |
| 158 | Blocks | 250 |
| 546 | Turnovers | 950 |
| 7,474 | Minutes | 10,811 |
Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Playoff superior stats
Jordan is the all-time playoff chief in PER and Box Plus/Minus, and he has the highest utilization share. But James tops everybody in VORP and Win Shares.
So yeah, these guys are fairly good.
| Jordan | Advanced | LeBron |
| 28.6 | Player Efficiency Rating | 28.4 |
| 24.7 | Value Over Replacement | 33.2 |
| 11.1 | Box Plus/Minus | 10.2 |
| 39.8 | Win Shares | 55.3 |
| 56.8 | True Shooting % | 58.4 |
| 35.6 | Usage % | 32.1 |
Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Accolades and awards
And here is the huge one. Jordan followers have championships in their again pockets. MJ went an ideal 6-0 in the NBA Finals and by no means wanted a Game 7 to win these sequence.
James has gone 4-6 in his 10 NBA Finals appearances, however he additionally managed the Eastern Conference with the Cavaliers and Heat for nearly a whole decade.
| Jordan | Accolades | LeBron |
| 6 | Championships | 4 |
| 5 | MVPs | 4 |
| 6 | Finals MVPs | 4 |
| 11 | All-NBA | 16 |
| 9 | All-Defense | 6 |
| 14 | All-Star | 16 |
| 10 | Scoring titles | 1 |