Michael Jordan and LeBron James are usually regarded as the two GOATs of basketball. Although many love to put James ahead of Jordan, stats have proven over time that the Chicago Bulls legend is better than the King.
One such stat is the fact that Michael Jordan has never been outscored by an opponent during his six trips to the NBA Finals. On the other hand, LeBron has been outscored by six different players during his 10 NBA Finals appearances. Let’s take a look at the players who outscored James in the NBA Finals.
2007 NBA Finals
LeBron James – 22.0 PPG
Tony Parker – 24.5 PPG
LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the 2007 NBA Finals as a 22-year-old. It was the King’s first appearance in the NBA Finals, and his lack of experience was exploited by the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs swept the Cavs in four games while Tony Parker outscored James.
2011 NBA Finals
LeBron James – 17.8 PPG
Dirk Nowitzki – 26.0 PPG
Dwyane Wade – 26.5 PPG
Chris Bosh – 18.5 PPG
Jason Terry – 18.0 PPG
After forming a Big 3 with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, LeBron James’ Miami Heat were the favorites to win the NBA title. In the 2011 NBA Finals, James had the biggest meltdown of his career. He had the infamous 8-point performance in Game 4 as well. Apart from that, James was outscored by four players in the series, which led to the Mavericks winning the series 4-2.
2012 NBA Finals
LeBron James – 28.6 PPG
Kevin Durant – 30.6 PPG
The Heatles found themselves in back-to-back NBA Finals in 2012. This time around, James had a much better performance on the biggest stage in the league. Sure, he was outscored by Kevin Durant, but the Heat ended up winning the series 4-1. LeBron finally won the first ring of his career.
2017 NBA Finals
LeBron James – 33.6 PPG
Kevin Durant – 35.2 PPG
LeBron James and the Cavaliers completed a historic 3-1 comeback against the Golden State Warriors in 2016. The Dubs responded by adding Kevin Durant to the roster. The series was never close, as the Warriors won the 2017 NBA Finals 4-1. It was James’ second defeat in three years vs. the Warriors.
Michael Jordan Is The King Of The NBA Finals
It took Michael Jordan seven seasons to reach the first NBA Finals of his career in 1991. But upon reaching the stage, MJ never allowed his opponents to get the better of him.
Mike led the Bulls to the title in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, and 1998. Apart from going 6-0 in the NBA Finals, MJ was never outscored by his opponents.
MJ averaged 33.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 6.0 APG over 35 games in the NBA Finals. Jordan also never allowed a team to push the Bulls to seven games.
A quick look at Nick Mac’s NBA Finals comparison between James and Jordan is enough to prove that Mike never allowed his nerves to get the better of him on the biggest stage.
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