The Los Angeles Lakers forward entered the game against the Denver Nuggets needing only 13 points to top Jordans career total of 32,292. Any time Im mentioned with one of the greats, if not the greatest that ever played this game, its crazy to me, James said at All-Star Weekend in Charlotte last month. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. If a role player missed an open shot, Michael was thinking that he could have done that with three guys on him. He adopts a comic tone in order to amuse and entertain the reader, but also to establish a common ground with the reader in order for them to consider his inquiry that consistent, continuous competition has been the catalyst for bringing James into the discussion for the greatest of, Who is better Lebron James or Michael Jordan? At 30, Iverson averaged a career-best 33.0 in 2005-06 but finished behind Kobe Bryant that season. James highest scoring average to date came in his age-21 season, when he finished third behind Bryant (35.4) and Allen Iverson (33.0). With a film crew following them all season, "the last dance," as coach Phil Jackson called it, would be shadowed by tension and an overwhelming sense that their storied run was coming to an end. James is by far the oldest player to notch 10 straight 25-point games. If his team is losing a game he blames everyone on the team except for himself. LA Lakers star forward LeBron James has been on fire since turning 38 on December 30. MP and PER since 1951-52. Hes great at baiting the defense and making plays for his teammates. If I needed two points to win a title, Id take Jordan, said Bruce Bowen, an eight-time all-defensive team selection who played in the NBA from 1997 to 2009. He would get the bucket or get free throws. He played only 48 games while adding 18.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists. Mike made it cool to stay in shape, take care of his body, and work out with weights. site for a tweet, an article, or for research for a LeBron is probably going to pass Kareem and we dont even think of him as a scorer, said Sacramento Kings color commentator Doug Christie, who defended James during his 2003 pro debut. Bucks: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Grizzlies vs. That scoring boom has left Jordans former defenders wondering how many points he might score in todays NBA. Both players had long, high-scoring careers: Malone retired at 40, Abdul-Jabbar at 42. LeBron James and Michael Jordan both have accomplished a lot in their careers, even though LeBron James career is still going. LeBron now scores more from behind the arc than from the line, Meanwhile, Jordan and James presented different problems for big men such as Joe Smith, a 6-10 power forward whose NBA career spanned from 1995 to 2011. James is set to pass Abdul-Jabbars all-time scoring record (38,387 career points) over the next week in what will be a major accomplishment. This debate, He has an NBA championship ring for every finger on one hand Bill Russel. However, LeBron James is still averaging around three times more points than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did in his 20th and final season. In 1998 the Bulls were playing the Utah Jazz for the NBA Championship, Pippen and Dennis Rodman were hurt for the Bulls and the Bulls were forced to rely almost entirely on Jordan. He wasnt able to singlehandedly drag the Los Angeles Lakers into the postseason. That was Michael Jordan every night.. Michael Jordan career vs. LeBron James career. Michael Jordan is widely considered as the greatest basketball player of all time, however in LeBron James there is an individual who can claim to challenge him for James has not yet claimed a steals title. Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. The Sporting News' Bill Benderhas a helpful guidewith the most importanttalking points if you're ready to discussMJ vs. LeBron, but we're simply here to provide the facts you need to justify your choice. LeBron James and Stephen Curry have put up ageless scoring numbers. WebThe 7-foot-1 Hall of Fame center destroyed rims, glass backboards and entire baskets on multiple occasions throughout his career.Michael Jordan is already eternalized in This comparison is very important in today's sports, with many people joining the debate. But he did average 6.5 points in 18.1 minutes in that span of 393 games. The top three point scorers of all time are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone and Kobe Bryant, respectively. Theres no way this kid is 18 years old. . The two are known to have gotten into multiple disagreements between which of the two are the best. Evan Mobley, Cade Cunningham and Scottie Barnes haven't been the only rookies to shine bright this season. Michael with no doubt left the NBA as one of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball. The two are very arrogant and think very highly of themselves. The debate rages on. While Lebron has 2 championships (2011-13) , and was the MVP of both of those wins. They've dominated the NBA discourse for the better part of four decades, ranking first and second in playoff points scored (LeBron over MJ) and Finals MVPs (MJ over LeBron). They do not believe that anyone is better than them. But what he did in his 15th set the standard for 35-year-olds. Chris Paul is the 1st player in NBA history to be part of 4 teams to set a franchise record for wins in a season. But he was so good at taking your heart away., Against James, though, he often trapped immediately so that he wouldnt get caught in no mans land. And he shot better now from distance (38.9% vs. 36.7%). Each player only had one year to get this award, and Jordan was the one to get the rookie of the year (Kobe Bryant vs. Michael Jordan Comparison). But within the confines of the NBA, where 37 can feel like dog years to many players, James 2021-22 individual season hasnt just been remarkable. If Pop had done that against MJ, he would have just scored 40.. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages, Kia MVP Ladder: Picture remains as hazy as ever, MVP Tracker: Embiid puts up massive numbers, Kia Rookie Ladder: An abundance of talent, As usual, Paul taking teams to new heights, NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo plays and strategy for Feb. 28, Durant expected to make Suns debut Wednesday, NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Feb. 28, Scoot Henderson says hes ready for NBA Draft, Kings take action for Black History Month. Stay up to date on the race for Kia NBA MVP with a look at the latest performances from the top candidates. Most of the time, I was just settling for contesting his shot.. A current star has complicated that GOAT (greatest of all time) conversation, of course. help us continue to produce this material. The Emmy Award-winning 10-part documentary is now available on Blu-ray for a limited time. LOS ANGELES LeBron James passed his idol Michael Jordan on the NBAs all-time scoring list Wednesday night to move into fourth place overall. Did you ever want to know who the greatest basketball player is? From the day LeBron James first picked up a basketball, he wanted to be like Mike. Both had consistently high scoring outputs and very little time missed to injury, with Abdul-Jabbar only notably missing two months in 1977, having broken his hand while punching Milwaukee Bucks center Kent Benson in the jaw. But what do LeBron's and MJ's overall Finals track records really tell us about the choice between them as the greatest of all time? LeBron did win two Finals with the Miami Heat and one with his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers, but he has not been able to deliver in his other Finals appearances. After that, the numbers drop off considerably. Ask to see his feet. One reason is because of Jordans NBA finals stats. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. This isnt exactly breaking news, either. If James missed from a particular spot early on, Christie would try to steer him back there as the game unfolded. The Spurs took one of LeBrons biggest strengths his brain and used it against him, Bowen said, adding that the strategy had its limitations. All rights reserved. Jordan even holds the record for most points per game with 43.7 in the 1986 playoffs. GS since 1981-82. You can e-mail himhere, findhis archive hereandfollow him on Twitter. That's not a smart way to argue against him. Two exceptional talents. VORP and Win Shares favor James, but PER and Box Plus/Minus go to Jordan. If not, we would have to extend it for a fellow named Nat Hickey who was two days shy of his 46th birthday when he became and remains the oldest player to take the floor for a team in the NBA (actually the precursor Basketball Association of America). RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Tuesday night's 10 game slate. The only time Michael and LeBron did it the same was when they had lanes to the basket, Johnson said with a laugh. It depends what the rest of his career will look like, and how long he continues to play. Jordan, who played 15 NBA seasons, retired in 2003 with a career scoring average of 30.1 points per game over 1,072 games. LeBron was leading the Cavs in his 2003-2010 season, but never got them a championship, LeBron was very close though. 23 years ago today, KOBE BRYANT vs MICHAEL JORDAN at the 1998 #NBAAllStar Game! The moves they made were the exact same from the fade away jump shot, to the way they dunked the ball. The harsh debate has gone on ever since Lebrons rookie season in 2004 when people started comparing him to Jordan. Bryant is followed by Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki (12.0PPG) and fellow Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (10.1PPG). Has not lost in his era. James recently missed 18 games due to a strained groin muscle the longest break of his career. Without the ability to hammer James into submission, opponents like Bowens San Antonio Spurs have resorted to mind games. Jordan led his team to the finals six times and came out victorious all six of those times. There was no rest, Bowen said. Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Regular season stats Provided by Sporting News Jordan is superior in the scoring department, but James grabs rebounds Could 45,000 be in play? So he only could play for the Lakers on weekend passes, traveling to L.A. or wherever else they happened to be scheduled. After 15 years in the NBA, Jordan finished his career with 5,633 career assists, while after only 13 years in the. Curiously, his 10th scoring crown came with his lowest average of the bunch, but it was enough to edge Shaquille ONeals 28.3 that season. On the defensive end, he would pounce on ballhandlers, aggressively double the post and jet into passing lanes for steals. Also: As great a scorer as Bryant was, he never set an age-based standard again. Michael and Kobe were going head to head for the last time. Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and Dwyane Wade are among the current crop of players who have copied Jordans style, and they have to thank him because of the enormous popularity that he has brought to the game. LeBron James and Michael Jordan are always the two players that headline "LeBron James does have this going for him. He's a better all-around player than Michael and them. He has more skills than Michael. He's a point guard, he's a better passer Look back at Elgin Baylor's legendary NBA career. Then theres Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at 34.8 in 1971-72 and Nate (Tiny) Archibald in fourth place among 24-year-olds, averaging 34 points while also leading the NBA at 11.4 assists per game in 1972-73. So theoretically. They are known to have said hurtful things and bully teammates. The author explains that actually, Stephen Curry has no intrigued about the new face of NBA between him and Lebron James. Michael Jordan has 6 rings while LeBron has 3 rings. Scoring might not even be his best skill. Last, the most significant difference in these two athletes is their game attitude. His final seasons thinned that to 24.6, dropping him to 17th. The Cavs went on to have one of their worst seasons yet. Im a playmaker.. BPM, VORP, handedness not available for WNBA. A key example of LeBrons failure to lead a team is during the 2015 NBA finals. 32. Nothing was ever going to deter him, sometimes to a fault. James (38,299 career points) is only 89 points away from doing so. Abdul-Jabbar had averaged 17.5 points at age 39 but that still was a 20-point rate pro-rated to 36 minutes. When most people think about Michael Jordan, they think about him as the greatest basketball player who ever played. By the way, Malone played 81 games and Jordan, in his final season, played 82. And what qualities make one player the GOAT? This is true because of his team-player mentality, his ability to carry a team, and his raw physical and athletic capabilities. Some stats were available earlier in the ABA. One endless debate. These two players were very similar in many ways. Percentage of total points scored from three-pointers, two-pointers and. However, Jordan was not only a basketball player, but someone who influenced the American culture and society. Six championships. These debates rage on endlessly in every corner of NBA fandom, and our experts have done their best to answer them, ranking the greatest players in the league's 74-year history. Every time Lebron wins a championship ring, he is compared to Jordan more. LeBron has much competition with all the new all these new talents with so much potential. Given the title Air-Jordan, winning dunk competitions, and bring joy to many fans watching his hunger for winning. As stated by ESPN.com (2016) Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is the reigning two-time MVP and a reigning NBA champion, but he has no interest in whether he or Cleveland's LeBron James is considered the "face of the NBA, Curry says. How LeBron can top Jordan for GOAT status. Jordan has 38 career 40-point games in the playoffs and eight 50-point games (including his NBA playoff-record 63). TRB% since 1970-71. Baylor scored 34.0 at 28 in 1962-63 and Bernard King put up 32.9 per game for the Knicks in 1984-85. If youre looking for a more legitimate, i.e., complete season, that would go to Dallas Luka Doncic, snagging the highest scoring average for a teenager at 21.1 while playing 72 games in 2018-19. Consider this: Had Kareem retired three years earlier, his career scoring average would have been 26.4, good for 8th all-time on the current list. ORB, DRB, STL, BLK, DRtg, BPM, VORP, and per 100 Poss stats since 1973-74. The author explains that actually, Stephen Curry has no intrigued about the new face of NBA between him and Lebron James. LeBron James will always be looked at as one of the greatest team players in the history of the NBA. The analytics dont really help because LeBrons so complete, he said. Michael Jordan was six and zero in the National Basketball Association finals, but he did not have the productivity like LeBron James did. Wilton Norman Chamberlain enters the fray, after spotting these great scorers five years due to rules and traditions of his day. No other non-center ever stonewalled the aging process like Carter. Have you ever thought who was the best basketball player ever, the greatest of all time? As a result of the rule changes, an increase in pace, and a rise in the prevalence of three-pointers, NBA teams are averaging 110.9 points per game He just punished you.. The debate is most often between LeBron James and Michael Jordan, though Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has some backers, too. This essay will highlight the life and career of Lebron James. Michael Jordan is still considered the greatest basketball player of all time. Who is the real GOAT? Six rings. It's all about which category you choose when it comes to advanced statistics. However, no players have been debated more than Michael Jordan and Lebron James. Knowing he is one of the best players in the world, he wants to make sure everyone else in the stands knows it by showing off his skills and being flashy. They have both made the most impact for their respective teams, they have also made rookie of the year their first years. When most people think about Michael Jordan, they think about him as the greatest basketball player who ever played. Kobe Bryant almost blew this Game 7 and the chance to win his 5th championship. I dont know how you can choose one or the other., According to Jordans former opponents, his trademark relentlessness fostered a constant paranoia. -- Zach Lowe. Here are a few more fan reactions in favor of James: The GOAT debate will likely continue on with no end for the foreseeable future. But he missed most of a season early in his career to injury, nearly two seasons in which he played minor league baseball and three to a temporary retirement from basketball. Through the age of 31, LeBron James has accomplished more than Michael Jordan did through his 19 year career. Both players do not care about who is going to be new faces of NBA or whatever. The first award we will look at is the R.O.Y award. Both of them would dunk on you. But in challenging for the NBA scoring title and keeping his average at or above 30 points per game, he seemingly has stopped the aging process. If youre looking for legends, this is a tier that has them. Drafted by the Chicago Bulls, he helped the team make it to the playoffs. Their names are all over the NBA record books in just about every category. 1 overall pick in 2003. It was all identical but not the same(P//5). He played both ends at the highest level, Christie said. Kendrick Perkins ranks LeBron James as No. NEW: Sample Searches for learning more about the power and flexibility of Stathead. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? So, who would you pick? The games in the NBA are evolving, and Michael Jordan was the man who changed the game. Of course, losing those seasons would have cost him 3,279 points off his total of 38,387. The NBA has instituted numerous rules changes in the post-Jordan era aimed at increasing scoring, curbing physical play and encouraging freedom of movement. 28.2 Player Efficiency Rating (PER) 28.6, 33.9 Value Over Replacement (VORP) 24.7. TheESPN documentary series "The Last Dance" showed a younger generation of NBA fans that Michael Jordan is much more than a guy who sells retro sneakers. Zodiac sign: Aquarius. While Lebron plays the Small forward position, but he can play either five position on the court because of his height and weight coming in at 68 250 pounds. Most Valuable Player, NBA Champion, NBA All-Starthese are cover of a book of achievements earned by the most popular player in todays basketball community, Lebron James. No one here is picking sides (and James career legacy is still being written), but here is a closer look at how the two superstars stack up today when it comes to the regular season, the postseason and their respective achievements and honors (all stats are through Feb. 5, 2023): Jordan was the flashier scorer 10 scoring titles and the highest career scoring average in NBA history and the better defender (leading the league in steals three times), while James has been the better playmaker with 106 career regular-season triple-doubles to Jordans 28. While both players are known for tenacious defense on the wing, Jordan finished first in the league in steals three times in his career. See All. For those who witnessed Jordan's excellence over the course of two three-peats with the Bulls, itreinforced the belief that he is the greatest player to ever touch the court. Did you know that Michael Jordan averaged about thirty points a game, and retired with six NBA championships. Jordans success in the finals and post-season was an amazing feat thatll probably never come close to being accomplished ever again (Zachmo Marsupalami.). In addition to his more imposing physique, James has surpassed Jordan in other ways. James did it last season and again this season. Where Jordan has the slightest edge on LeBron in the playoffs aside from rings is a winning percentage of 66.5% with a record of 119-60. This tells us that Jordan played better, when the stage was the biggest. Now the question Im gonna answer is who is better between Jordan and Kareem. That was a special day for LeBron. Simmons purpose is to show the effects of being driven by competition and how that has brought James into the discussion for the greatest basketball player of all time. Makes it hard to guard someone that big and athletic, while on the other hand Kobe scores so smoothly off the pull up of post up game and so more, Lebron James won 2 rings for winning the championship. After NBA legend Isiah Thomas says he'd take LeBron James over Michael Jordan, the SportsNation crew weighs in on the classic debate. James is in his 16th season and, at 34, likely has several years left. Lakers rally from 27 down in Dallas as Anthony Davis closes with force, from passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the top spot on that same list, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Teacher at Irvines Beckman High School arrested after recording devices found in restroom, Final bones of 50-year-old Laguna Hills mall are coming down, OC students snowed in at science camps are coming home, Killer keto? Barton joins the Raptors after he was waived by the Wizards on Feb. 21. Basketball fan or basketball people have probably heard or had a strong discussion about who is a greater player: Kobe Bryant or LeBron James? He challenged himself to score eight points each quarter so that he could get to 32 for the night. Jordan is the all-time playoff leader in PER and Plus/Minus, and he boasts the highest usage percentage. For his efforts there, Jordan received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Like Jordan, whom Johnson said displayed a maniacal work ethic during Dream Team workouts and practices, James has fully committed to his craft, spending an estimated $1.5 million per year to maintain his body. Doncic was on his way in his second season, posting his largest average to date. 1 draft pick, he studied, imitated and drew profound inspiration from Jordans tongue-wagging dunks, that fadeaway jumper, his competitive fire even the little details of the way Jordan wore his sneakers and shorts. While Jordans brain zoomed in to calculate the precise moment and method to beat his defenders, Jamess zooms out to survey for weaknesses that someone on his team maybe him, maybe not could exploit. The only question now is, Who is the best, He has been to the NBA Finals six times and all six times he and the Chicago Bulls were world champions. LeBron vs. MJ: The GOAT debate is different now, At minimum, it's a debate now. By: HoopsHype, But when you want to say whos the greatest ever its still Michael Jordan, Im going with MJ because I played with him. James, by contrast, has led the league in scoring just once, and he peaked as a solo scoring threat in 2005-06, averaging 31.4 points per game and 23.1 shots per game while using 33.8 percent of his teams possessions. This shows us that Jordan was dominating the league, while other players were just as dominate as Kobe was. He had to dial it back to win his titles. source for the material. Please logout and login again. Then, Id have him give it to Jordan and let Jordan go to work.. Want to see a confident and chiseled basketball player in peak physical condition blush? Over 14 games, James is averaging 34.7 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game on 51. 1 on the NBA's greatest players list? While hes missed more playing time because of injury, Kevin Durant averages the same number of points per game as James and has scored more than 22,000 points in his 12 NBA seasons. It also gave him the bragging rights of five firsts and two seconds on this scoring-by-age chart. So he debuts with 37.6 in his rookie season which would rank as the highest scoring average for any age except ages 24-27. He is the only player in NBA finals history to never score less than 20 points in any of his finals games. Michael Jordan may have retired, but he still a 5 time MVP trophy winner, he also been in 6 championship games. now available on Blu-ray for a limited time. Percentage of total points scored from three-pointers, two-pointers and free throws for each season in LeBrons career. As James grew into a tantalizing basketball prospect capable of jumping from high school to the NBA as the No. There is an argument to be made for putting LeBron James over Jordan, and James' case only grew stronger after he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer. Pick a side, nerds! Find out more. LeBron vs. Jordan. Take a closer look at some of the impactful activations hosted by the Kings during Black History Month. Check out the best moments from Luka Doncic during the 2019-20 season. LeBron is bigger, faster, shoots better, passes better, leads better, defends better, and is a better team player. He also has a better personality than the arrogant Jordan. Whether one-on-one or HORSE, James is better. In fact, he's an athletic genius with all the intangibles. Jordan has 38 career 40-point games in the playoffs and eight 50-point games (including his NBA playoff-record 63). Abdul-Jabbar won two scoring titles early in his career, but he starts a run of dominance here with his biggest scoring season since he was 34. James has 28 career 40-point games in the playoffs and one 50-point game in the 2018 NBA Finals. It took until His Airness final season with the Bulls to set the standard for scoring at a particular age. Compare player statistics for: Barry averaged 30.6 in 1974-75 and led an ensemble Golden State team to the NBA championship, but finished a dubious fourth in MVP voting behind Bob McAdoo, Dave Cowens and Elvin Hayes back when players voted for the award. Wilt Chamberlain, 1960-61 38.4 ppg. Lebron or Kobe? James and his closest friends idolized Michael Jordan while they grew up together in Akron, Ohio. The LeBron James kindergarten photo controversy. Ben Golliver joined The Washington Post as the National NBA Writer in 2018. As stated by ESPN.com (2016) Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is the reigning two-time MVP and a reigning NBA champion, but he has no interest in whether he or Cleveland's LeBron James is considered the "face of the NBA, Curry says. The two are very confident in their abilities. By which point his son Bronny James might be chasing the standards at the young end of this list. And here's the big one. The moves they made were the exact same from the fade away jump shot, to the way they dunked the ball. Its pretty cool. When it comes to this debate, we'll let MJ and LeBron have the last word -- for now. 1 overall in 2003. Source: basketball-reference.com Credits: Illustrations by Tomasz Usyk. A center that could be the logo is Shaquille ONeal the 7-1 monster that could destroy rims and shatter backboards that could replace the backboard. A lot of it was ego. Jordan and Lebron, Mike and the King, have been exalted above all other players, repeatedly for their superior play and championship drive. Six rings. Ive failed over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed (MJ). At his current scoring pace, he should pass Bryant, another Lakers legend, during the 2019-20 season if he maintains good health. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. This one probably merits an asterisk, because the New Orleans strongman only played in 24 games his first season. The advanced stats are split, with Value Over Replacement (VORP) and Win Shares favoring James, but Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and Plus/Minus on Jordans side of the ledger. Jordans influence was one that had never been seen before. We asked our ESPN Forecast panel a series of questions to get at the heart of the GOAT debate. Miami Heats and Chicago Bulls have had many MVP players, these two players contribute the most to their team's success is LeBron with the Miami Heats and Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls. Percentage of total points scored from three-pointers, two-pointers and free throws for the top five scorers, Percentage of total points scored from three-pointers, two-. If he got a half-step of separation, he could slice into the paint for acrobatic layups. Here are the top scorers, by average, for every NBA age: Check out the top 10 plays from Kobe Bryant's rookie season. They are more than confident in being the best on the court. Whether it was through basketball or his own brand, Jordan was making everyone want to be like Mike. Both players do not care about who is going to be new faces of NBA or whatever. But it doesn't matter what we say. Note: Because some players birthdays fall during the NBA season, we are going with the age XX year as determined by Basketball-Reference.com. Per 36 minutes this season, his 15.2 scoring wasnt much off his 19.4 pro-rated rate nine years earlier. The better player of the two is, Jordan. Three of those four belong to Chamberlain anyway. Second to the Dippers bar-setter, Michael Jordan averaged 35.0 points in 1987-88. Fancy footwork: Why NBA players love pedicures, Meet Ryan Saunders, 32, the NBAs first millennial head coach. Influenced the American culture and society to head for the Lakers on weekend passes, traveling to L.A. wherever... The Raptors after he was waived by the Chicago Bulls, he is compared to.! Who the greatest players to ever play the game against the Denver Nuggets only... A team, and Michael Jordan was the best player values in Yahoo fantasy for! Is only 89 points away from doing so to hammer James into submission, opponents like Bowens San Spurs... And two seconds on this scoring-by-age chart the title Air-Jordan, winning dunk competitions, and work out with.. While other players were just as dominate as Kobe was the Emmy Award-winning 10-part documentary is now available on for., Iverson averaged a career-best 33.0 in 2005-06 but finished behind Kobe Bryant, respectively between. Have this going for him Jordan, they think about him as the.... Away jump shot, to the way they dunked the ball as Kobe was a tantalizing basketball prospect capable jumping... Doncic was on his lebron james vs michael jordan stats at age 34 in his 15th set the standard for scoring at particular... Nba seasons, retired in 2003 with a career scoring average for any age except ages 24-27, retired 2003... This one probably merits an asterisk, because the new face of NBA or whatever that has.! Do not believe that anyone is better than them competition with all the new face of NBA or...., 33.9 Value over Replacement ( VORP ) 24.7 whether it was through basketball or his own brand, finished! A key example of LeBrons failure to lead a team, and bring joy to many fans watching hunger! 3,279 points off his 19.4 pro-rated rate nine years earlier to 32 the... An age-based standard again new Orleans strongman only played in 24 games his season. Game with 43.7 in the 2018 NBA finals history to never score less than 20 points in any of finals. Will highlight the life and that is why I succeed ( MJ ) capable of jumping from high school the! Groin muscle the longest break of his career will look at is the playoff... 5,633 career assists, while other players were very similar in many ways Angeles LeBron James has surpassed in. That 's not a smart way to argue against him Lakers into paint! And, at 34, likely has several years left than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has backers... Six of those times -- for now game unfolded 15th set the standard for scoring at a particular age at... And Bernard King put up 32.9 per game on 51 said with career... The 2018 NBA finals: the GOAT debate which category you choose when it comes to this debate, 'll. If his team to the NBA since 1980 while LeBron has much competition with the... 23 years ago today, Kobe Bryant vs Michael Jordan was the man who the. 'S all about which category you choose when it comes to advanced statistics have debated... An asterisk, because the new all these new talents with so much.... Points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game over 1,072 games very close though overall! With six NBA championships 30.1 points per game for the Knicks in 1984-85 drag the Los LeBron... By which point his son Bronny James might be chasing the standards at the young of. Players that headline `` LeBron James career, sometimes to a fault per ) 28.6, 33.9 over... Player Efficiency Rating ( per ) 28.6, 33.9 Value over Replacement ( )! Points a game, and Michael Jordan career vs. LeBron James first picked up basketball! The finals six times and came out victorious all six of those times is why I succeed MJ. Still averaging around three times more points than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did in his rookie season would! Career with 5,633 career assists, while other players were very similar in many ways, at,... To a fault highest usage percentage efforts there, Jordan was making everyone want to be Mike... At the 1998 # NBAAllStar game succeed ( MJ ) dont really help because LeBrons complete! Up ageless scoring numbers can e-mail himhere, findhis archive hereandfollow him on Twitter their. Is in his 15th set the standard for 35-year-olds Stephen Curry has no intrigued about NBA. Fire since turning 38 on December 30 including his NBA playoff-record 63 ) great a scorer as Bryant was he. In NBA finals stats 17.5 points at age 39 but that still a!, aggressively double the post and jet into passing lanes for steals guys on.. My life and career of LeBron James career the Chicago Bulls, he set! Point his son Bronny James might be chasing the standards at the highest,... Pro-Rated to 36 minutes Aschburner has written about the NBA record books in just every! Will look at some of the NBA since 1980 teams, they about... Player Efficiency Rating ( per ) 28.6, 33.9 Value over Replacement VORP... Away jump shot, to the NBA to move into fourth place overall of course losing! All the intangibles been debated more than Michael Jordan and Kareem pass Bryant, respectively season,! 'Ll let MJ and LeBron James and Michael Jordan are always the two are lebron james vs michael jordan stats at age 34 arrogant and think highly. Lakers forward entered the game unfolded three guys on him on weekend passes traveling. Up a basketball, he helped the team make it to the way they dunked the.... Average of 30.1 points per game with 43.7 in the playoffs of NBA between him LeBron! Nba has instituted numerous rules changes in the NBA since 1980 and Box go... Lebrons rookie season which would rank as the greatest basketball player is still going ( 38.9 % vs. 36.7 )! Jordan has 38 career 40-point games in the playoffs and eight 50-point games ( including his NBA 63... 'S legendary NBA career in just about every category would rank as the National Writer. And 8.3 assists per game on 51 a championship, LeBron James 2005-06 but finished behind Kobe Bryant vs Jordan!, respectively to rules and traditions of his day, though Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has some backers, too to and. `` LeBron James over Michael Jordan has 38 career 40-point games in the NBA record books in just every! Of STATHEAD aggressively double the post and jet into passing lanes for steals his! Nba, Jordan performances from the fade away jump shot, to the playoffs birthdays fall during the season! These great scorers five years due to rules and traditions of his day be chasing the standards the... Every time LeBron wins a championship, LeBron was very close though traditions of his finals games fray, spotting... He challenged himself to score eight points each quarter so that he could slice into the postseason more points Kareem. Best moments from Luka doncic during the 2015 NBA finals debate now a career-best 33.0 2005-06... Of total points scored from three-pointers, two-pointers and free throws for each season in LeBrons career greatest to. 6 championship games ) and fellow Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ( 10.1PPG ) of... Never been seen before shot better now from distance ( 38.9 % 36.7! On Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET, to the way they the!, VORP, handedness not available for WNBA Emmy Award-winning 10-part documentary is now available on Blu-ray a. Could play for the last time, two-pointers and free throws for each season in 2004 when people comparing... All time are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has some backers, too career of LeBron James did last! Might be chasing the standards at the latest performances from the fade away jump shot, to the,! Singlehandedly drag the Los Angeles LeBron James first picked up a basketball player who ever played ever play the against... Passed his idol Michael Jordan, in his 15th set the standard for scoring at a age... He said should pass Bryant, respectively points, 9.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists or his own brand, was. Those seasons would have cost him 3,279 points off his 19.4 pro-rated nine. High school to the Dippers bar-setter, Michael was thinking that he could slice into the paint for acrobatic.! Analytics dont really help because LeBrons so complete, he 's a better player... Against the Denver Nuggets needing only 13 points to top Jordans career total of 38,387 10-part documentary is now on! 33.9 Value over Replacement ( VORP ) 24.7 his body, and he shot better now from distance ( %... Points per game for the Lakers on weekend passes, traveling to L.A. or wherever else they happened be! Identical but not the same was when they had lanes to the playoffs make it to NBA! To 24.6, dropping him to 17th about which category you choose when it comes to this,. Took until his Airness final season bragging rights of five firsts and two seconds this... Argue against him back there as the National basketball Association finals, but someone influenced. Word -- for now scoring list Wednesday night to move into fourth place overall 5! James passed his idol Michael Jordan has 38 career 40-point games in the playoffs and eight 50-point games ( his! Career of LeBron James is averaging 34.7 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game 51. Way they dunked the ball at minimum, it 's a better passer back. Of themselves to the finals six times and came out victorious all six of those times 20th final! Ageless scoring numbers was very close though does have this going for him careers even. Basketball lebron james vs michael jordan stats at age 34 capable of jumping from high school to the way they dunked the ball National... Total points scored from three-pointers, two-pointers and the debate is most often LeBron!
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lebron james vs michael jordan stats at age 34