Lebron James and Michael Jordan are considered by most to be the 2 greatest NBA players of all time. After passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer, Lebron said he thinks he is the greatest player to ever play the game. So who is statistically better, Lebron James or Michael Jordan?
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Offensive Stats Comparison
In their careers, Jordan averaged more points and fewer turnovers per game, but Lebron averages more rebounds and assists and makes a slightly higher percentage of his shots. because of this, neither player is clearly better based on only offensive stats per game.
Michael Jordan did lead the league in most points per game 10 times, while Lebron did this only once. Lebron also led the league in assists once.
Lebron James | Per Game | Michael Jordan |
27.2 | Points | 30.1 |
7.3 | Assists | 5.3 |
7.5 | Rebounds | 6.2 |
50.5 | Field Goal % | 49.7 |
73.5 | Free throw % | 83.5 |
34.4 | 3-point % | 32.7 |
3.5 | Turnovers | 2.7 |
Defensive Stats Comparison
In his career, Jordan averaged more steals and the same number of blocks per game as Lebron.
Jordan led the league in steals 3 times and was defensive player of the year once. Lebron has neither of these accomplishments but was runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year twice.
Lebron James | Per Game | Michael Jordan |
1.5 | Steals | 2.3 |
0.8 | Blocks | 0.8 |
Based on just these defensive stats Jordan would appear better, but in-game there is more to playing good defense than just steals and blocks.
Jordan and Lebron overall have pretty similar defensive ratings. Lebron James has a career defensive rating of 104.1, while Michael Jordan's is 102.7.
(For a defensive rating, a lower number is better, as this is the number of points allowed per 100 possessions.)
Comparing Career Accomplishments
Lebron James will be in his 21st year in the league while Michael Jordan retired after 15 seasons. Both have tons of career awards.
Michael Jordan won the NBA finals in all 6 of his appearances. Lebron appeared in the NBA finals 10 times and won 4 times.
Lebron James | Award | Michael Jordan |
4 | Championships | 6 |
19 | All-Star | 14 |
4 | MVP | 5 |
4 | Finals MVP | 6 |
1 | Rookie of the Year | 1 |
18 | All-NBA team | 11 |
6 | All-Defense Team | 9 |
Only based on accomplishments Michael Jordan appears better since he leads in the majority of these categories. (and the ones that Lebron leads in are pretty much just because he has played for much longer)
Overall, arguments can be made that both players were better and it now comes down to personal opinion. Some fans argue that Jordan's six championships and scoring ability give him the advantage, while others appreciate LeBron's overall skill set and longevity. Either way, both players have made significant contributions to the sport.