"I can relate to the players and we can talk about music, shoes and movies because we are similar in ages," said the Timberwolves coach, whose roster has three players older than him. A key example of LeBrons failure to lead a team is during the 2015 NBA finals. This is where the scoring numbers start to drop off, for two simple reasons: Not a lot of NBA players stick around this long and skills invariably diminish with age. Jordan, who played 15 NBA seasons, retired in 2003 with a career scoring average of 30.1 points per game over 1,072 games. The two are very confident in their abilities. When it comes to statistical comparison Jordan could be considered as better after winning six titles and its important to emphasize two 3-peats. With five regular-season MVPs and three All-Star MVPs, Jordan became the most decorated player in the NBA. It was the most the legendary Atlanta Braves star ever hit in a season, vaulting him into position to chase down Babe Ruths record of 714 in 1974. You can e-mail himhere, findhis archive hereandfollow him on Twitter. Other younger players look as if they could also cross the 30,000-point threshold. Both LeBron and MJ won Rookie of the Year for their respective teams. 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 Like James, Bryant missed very little time to injury until the end of his career, even playing with a fractured finger for most of a season. Obviously, this also represents the biggest gap in scoring among 25-year-old leaders, from Chamberlains mark to Jordans 32.5 in 1988-89. Both players had long, high-scoring careers: Malone retired at 40, Abdul-Jabbar at 42. Now that James isthe NBA's all-time leading scorer, one question remains: Will heput the record out of reach? Through Michael Jordans athletic success on the court, he was able to make himself and his brand into a cultural icon, which had a great impact on the game of basketball, fashion, marketing, and the economy in America. Considering James' elite scoring production at age 37, we examine the NBA's all-time highest scorers by age. Six championships. Jordan has another amazing record when he scored 63 points against the Boston Celtics in 1986. There were the Jordan Rules, but theres no LeBron Rules because you cant be that physical anymore, said Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Sam Cassell, a strong-minded point guard who won two titles with the Houston Rockets during a playing career that spanned from 1993 to 2008. We were trying to kill Michael Jordan and he would just get up and make his free throws.. WebLeBron James seems to be ignoring the memo on Father Time's undefeated record. One of the reasons why Lebron can not be said to be better than Jordan is because of how many championships Michael has won compared to Lebron. LeBron was leading the Cavs in his 2003-2010 season, but never got them a championship, LeBron was very close though. ORB, DRB, STL, BLK, DRtg, BPM, VORP, and per 100 Poss stats since 1973-74. Well never know where Jordans totals would have ended up if not for a pair of early retirements (missing nearly two full seasons when he walked away the first time at age 30). However, Jordan was not only a basketball player, but someone who influenced the American culture and society. The author explains that actually, Stephen Curry has no intrigued about the new face of NBA between him and Lebron James. 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). No other non-center ever stonewalled the aging process like Carter. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. , up dramatically from 95.1 points per game in 2002-03, Jordans final season and the last before James joined the league. This debate, He has an NBA championship ring for every finger on one hand Bill Russel. We dont even think of any other stars in his era. LA Lakers star forward LeBron James has been on fire since turning 38 on December 30. English, a second-round pick in 1976, had averaged 22.3 points across his first 14 seasons. Its amazing to realize that The Beard averaged more points at 29 than Wilt, Jordan or anybody else in NBA history. Learn more and register. LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan: How their, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan: How their careers compare, LeBron James might miss weeks, but Lakers say its no excuse in playoff chase, Lakers pile up turnovers in loss to Ja Morant, Grizzlies, Report: Lakers LeBron James could miss weeks with foot injury. NEW: Sample Searches for learning more about the power and flexibility of Stathead. Heres why both legends can credibly claim to be the greatest. Please logout and login again. Its been historical. Click on the red text to pre-fill the form with various values, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 4:56AM. 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. James averaged 27.2 as a 20-year-old NBA sophomore. Winning a fourth NBA title and leading a third team to a championship might be the pinnacle of his basketball career, but in life, at 35, James is just getting started. Daring James to shoot proved effective for stretches because it caused James to overthink. 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. When most people think about Michael Jordan, they think about him as the greatest basketball player who ever played. They both managed to have a killer mentality where winning was the number one priority, and health was just a second thought. Both of them would dunk on you. This still doesn't change the fact that Michael Jordan and LeBron James won 2 Olympic gold medals. @NBATV pic.twitter.com/bhOOosMjpe, Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 9, 2022. In terms of longevity, James holds a clear advantage. 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. As always, he was a physical specimen, but he was a far cry from his prime when he averaged 18.2 points and 12.9 rebounds from 1992 through 1995 for Atlanta and Miami. Who is the real GOAT? 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. These two players were very similar in many ways. Michael Jordan has 6 rings while LeBron has 3 rings. 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-. Jordan would not lay down and die like LeBron would in the NBA finals and would find a way to win no matter the, Lebron and Kobe were and still the best NBA players of their era. Oh, andthe lazy narrative claiming James shrinksin big games his postseason lines are often more impressive than his regular-season performances. Now the question Im gonna answer is who is better between Jordan and Kareem. They both managed to have a killer mentality where winning was the number one priority, and health was just a second thought. WNBA all-time (since 1997) unless otherwise noted. Michael Jordan and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf recount a funny conversation when discussing his recovery from a foot injury. This isnt exactly breaking news, either. The debate rages on. It was all identical but not the same(P//5). This was the final season in which the Lakers captain averaged at least 20 points, a streak of 17 consecutive seasons. At age 37, LeBron has scored 25 points in 10 consecutive games. 1 on his list of top NBA players of all time. This still doesn't change the fact that Michael Jordan and LeBron James won 2 Olympic gold medals. 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. However, Jordan was not only a basketball player, but someone who influenced the American culture and society. LeBron was shut down by Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala. GS since 1981-82. So Karl Malone would have caught and passed him in 2003 before LeBron and reigned as the NBAs all-time points leader for 19 years until March 19 in Washington, when James would have taken over by reaching 36,929. During Jordan time in the NBA, there were many great players like Shaquille ONeal and Kobe Bryant but out of these great players, Michael Jordan rose to the top. There is also the fact that the NBA is different now compared to the NBA that Jordan played in. Christie estimated 40 points per game. They are both are Hall of Famers, with a combined eight championship rings together and counting. 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. If LeBron James is not better than Michael Jordan he is just as good because of his career accomplishments, his statistical numbers, as well. However, no players have been debated more than Michael Jordan and Lebron James. Michael Jordan is a superior player to kareem because of his success on and off the court. Evan Mobley, Cade Cunningham and Scottie Barnes haven't been the only rookies to shine bright this season. The 13-time All-Star, who was dealt to Phoenix on Feb. 9, has not played in a game since Jan. 8 when he was with the Nets. Kobe plays the shooting guard position but can move anywhere around the perimeter, such as point guard, shooting guard, and small forward, coming in at 66 205 pounds. In conclusion, LeBron James is statistically a better player when it comes to all-around basketball. However, Michael Jordan was a much better scorer. He won more on the biggest stage, but failed often in the playoffs and rarely beat some of his greatest opponents. James played with better teammates than Jordan did. They are quick to show people that they are the best on the court. MJ attends the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. 5 spot with 32,292. Here are the top scorers, by average, for every NBA age: Check out the top 10 plays from Kobe Bryant's rookie season. When Lebron James went to Miami it is was incredible, when Michael Jordan was on the Bulls they were unstoppable, there always been a comparison between the two. If Jordan got to his preferred spots, he could set up his trademark turnaround. The top of the people that could change the logo would be the person that is the best to play the game and is Michael Jordan and is also the jumpman logo. Will LeBron James become the all-time scoring leader? This was the only by-age slot for James until this season. Jordan won six NBA championships compared to Kobes five and Jordan was the finals MVP five times while Kobe was once (Kobe Bryant vs. Michael Jordan Comparison). WebEvery time Lebron wins a championship ring, he is compared to Jordan more. Theres no way this kid is 18 years old. . Jordan and Lebron, Mike and the King, have been exalted above all other players, repeatedly for their superior play and championship drive. 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 silhouette. However, Jordan has been much more loved by the fans than LeBron. Armand Emamdjomeh makes data visualizations, maps and graphics. While arguments can be (and have been) made for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Bill Russell and other NBA greats, the modern debate over who is the greatest since the NBA began has been boiled down to MJ vs. LeBron. I wouldnt change LeBrons approach at all.. Popular writer and sports columnist, Bill Simmons, in his article, LeBron is Still Painting his Masterpiece, describes the current state of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and compares the careers of two of the greatest players in the leagues history: Michael Jordan and LeBron James. After 15 years in the NBA, Jordan finished his career with 5,633 career assists, while after only 13 years in the. Also read: LeBron James will be GOAT over Michael Jordan once he gets NBA's scoring record, says Chandler Parsons, Be the first one to comment on this story. The two never met on the court; Jordan retired for the third and final time (as a Washington Wizard) two months before the Cleveland Cavaliers made James the No. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. They both just want to be the best teammates for their own teams. A current star has complicated that GOAT (greatest of all time) conversation, of course. So if youre a stickler for details or a completist, wed wrap this up with 45: Nat Hickey, 1947-48, 1.0 ppg. Michael Jordan has 6 rings while LeBron has 3 rings. As previously mentioned, James is currently averaging 30.2PPG in his 20th season. Over 14 games, James is averaging 34.7 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game on 51.6% shooting. If you utilize material unique to a Sports Reference I have research and know from a personal view that Kobe Bryant is a better basketball player than Michael Jordan. Games, James is averaging 34.7 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game in 2002-03, Jordans season. 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Slot for James until this season Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf recount a funny conversation discussing.

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