The ESPN documentary series “The Last Dance” revealed a more vibrant generation of NBA fans that Michael Jordan is a lot more than a guy who sells retro tennis shoes. For those who saw Jordans success throughout two three-peats with the Bulls, it strengthened the belief he is the best player to ever touch the court.
There is an argument to be made for putting LeBron James over Jordan, and James case will only grow more powerful if he can lead the Lakers past the Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals.
Sporting News Bill Bender has a practical guide with the most important talking points if you’re prepared to go over MJ vs. LeBron, however were merely here to provide the realities you require to justify your option.
There is an argument to be made for putting LeBron James over Jordan, and James case will only grow more powerful if he can lead the Lakers past the Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals.
Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Regular season stats
Jordan is superior in the scoring department, however James grabs rebounds and dishes out aids at a greater rate. While both players are known for steadfast protection on the wing, Jordan ended up first in the league in swipes 3 times in his occupation. James has not yet declared a steals title.
In terms of durability, James holds a clear advantage. The gap in total numbers will certainly expand as long as James stays healthy, and also he doesn’t seem slowing down at age 35.
| Jordan | Per Game | LeBron |
| 30.1 | Points | 27.1 |
| 6.2 | Rebounds | 7.4 |
| 5.3 | Assists | 7.4 |
| 2.3 | Steals | 1.6 |
| 0.8 | Blocks | 0.8 |
| 2.7 | Turnovers | 3.5 |
| 38.3 | Minutes | 38.4 |
| 49.7 | Field goal % | 50.4 |
| 32.7 | 3-point % | 34.4 |
| 83.5 | Free throw % | 73.4 |
| Jordan | Totals | LeBron |
| 1,072 | Games | 1,265 |
| 32,292 | Points | 34,241 |
| 6,672 | Rebounds | 9,405 |
| 5,633 | Assists | 9,346 |
| 2,514 | Steals | 2,015 |
| 893 | Blocks | 957 |
| 2,924 | Turnovers | 4,424 |
| 41,011 | Minutes | 48,551 |
Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Regular season advanced stats
It’s all about which group you pick when it comes to innovative stats. VORP and Win Shares favor James, but PER and Box Plus/Minus most likely to Jordan.
Choose a side, geeks! (That’s a regard to endearment.).
| Jordan | Advanced | LeBron |
| 27.9 | Player Efficiency Rating | 27.5 |
| 116.1 | Value Over Replacement | 133.7 |
| 9.2 | Box Plus/Minus | 8.9 |
| 214.0 | Win Shares | 236.4 |
| 56.9 | True Shooting % | 58.6 |
| 33.3 | Usage % | 31.5 |
Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Playoff stats
The playoff stats mirror what Jordan and also James generate throughout the routine season. Regardless of James’ increased usage and effectiveness from beyond the arc throughout his profession, it’s worth noting he shoots regarding the exact same portion as Jordan from 3-point array.
Oh, and the lazy narrative declaring James diminishes in huge video games– his postseason lines are often more excellent than his regular-season performances. That’s not a smart way to refute 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 goal % | 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 advanced stats
Jordan is the all-time playoff leader in PER and also Box Plus/Minus, and also he has the highest possible usage percentage. But James covers everyone in VORP and Win Shares.
So yeah, these guys are pretty 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’s the huge one. Jordan fans have championships in their back pockets. MJ went an excellent 6-0 in the NBA Finals and never required a Video game 7 to win those series.
James has gone 4-6 in his 10 NBA Finals appearances, however he likewise controlled the Eastern Seminar with the Cavaliers and also Warm for almost a whole years.
| 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 |