I love this discussion, and I want nothing more than for this to bring out both MJ and Lebron homers alike to take things up a notch. I will admit…I have watched 90% of any meaningful game Lebron James has played in, but only around 30% of “His Airness”. That being said, Youtube has helped me catch up quite a bit over the last few years and I feel confident in my ability to compare the two.
I am throwing out statistics for this discussion, especially statistics that depend more on teammates and match-ups than who is the “better player”. That’s what this is all about right? How can we “ONLY” use titles (a team based stat) when determining who is the better player? Below are 18 categories that I believe determine how good of a basketball player a person is. Please tell me in the comments which categories you agree with, and those you do not!
Categories:
|
Overall Scorer JORDAN |
3 Point Shooting LEBRON |
|
Midrange JORDAN |
Paint Scoring LEBRON |
|
Free Throw Shooting JORDAN |
Scoring Efficiency LEBRON |
|
Passing LEBRON |
Rebounding LEBRON |
|
Transition LEBRON |
Attacking the Paint
LEBRON |
|
Blocks LEBRON |
Steals JORDAN |
|
1 on 1 Defender JORDAN |
Team Defender LEBRON |
|
Turnovers JORDAN |
Leadership LEBRON |
| Clutchness
JORDAN |
Athleticism JORDAN |
18 total categories:
- Lebron with 10
- Jordan with 8
Argument for Lebron: Lebron is one of the best passers this game has ever seen, elevating teammates to their highest potential. Lebron is also a better rebounder than Jordan. Though Jordan is the better OVERALL scorer, Lebron is better at 3 point shooting, scoring efficiency, and attacking the paint. Lebron can guard all 5 positions, and is a dominant and game altering force on the defensive end. Lebron can transform any starting 5 into a championship contender.
Argument for Jordan: Jordan is clearly the better overall scorer or the two, though one could make an argument as to his efficiency in doing so. Jordan is the king of mid-range, as well as one of the best finishers at the rim the game has ever seen. Jordan is the better free throw shooter. There is no doubt that if the game is on the line and your team needs a bucket, there is no doubt you would rather MJ have the ball during those final seconds. Jordan was both a tenacious on AND off ball defender, and could lock up any guard he faced.
My official vote: First 3 quarters of a game – Lebron. 4th quarter – Jordan. Too close to call.
Real Talk (Daniel Smith) 
I like your blog! Of course I disagree that this is a toss up, but I’m mostly curious about how you have Lebron over MJ in the athleticism category. I’ll hang up and listen.
With this category I was thinking “physical attributes” aka size/speed/strength, and I think Lebron is just a freak of nature in that regard and he outmatched Jordan here.
OK. I disagree, although I agree that Lebron is a physical freak. Honestly, on the football field he might stand out more athletically than in basketball. You listed size/speed/strength. I would add agility and leaping ability. To be more basketball-specific, I would also add that first step, lateral quickness, and go-to moves. Lebron is bigger and stronger than Jordan, no doubt. But Jordan is better than Lebron in every other category when it comes to athleticism. By a mile. They call him Air Jordan, or His Airness if you’re Stuart Scott.
Fun Fact: An image of Jordan soaring to the rim with a basketball can be found at 95% of all basketball games in the world (including pick-up games at your local court).
I agree with you on agility, first step, and lateral quickness. I disagree with you on leaping ability. Also, I would not put “go to moves” in the athleticism category. But all that said, I am more than ok with giving MJ the athleticism category.