LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan Full Comparison: Who Is The Real GOAT?

Who is truly the best NBA player of all time? The two names that appear in the conversation are easily LeBron James and Michael Jordan. LeBron James was named the greatest player of the past decade for his 4 NBA championships and consistency as the best passer and leader in the game. His basketball I.Q. is sensational, and he has drawn comparisons to the great Magic Johnson for his play with the ball. Of course, The King has been the face of the league for a very long time, and he is still going strong into his 20th NBA season. Soon, he will be the NBA’s all-time leading scorer as he closes in on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record.

Of course, Michael Jordan is a renowned athlete for the way he changed the NBA and brought a global influence to the game of basketball. Jordan has a list of spectacular achievements, which include 10 scoring titles, 5 MVP awards, 6 championships, and 6 Finals MVPs while going 6-0 in the Finals. Not to mention, Jordan is the most skilled scorer of all time, as he has the highest career PPG average among all players. The shooting guard was considered the GOAT when he retired, but does LeBron James have a better skill set than him?

Career comparisons between Michael and LeBron have been building ever since James won the 2016 championship, and it has not slowed down even as James has aged at currently 38 years old. The biggest difference between the two players has to be the fact that MJ won 6 NBA championships while going 6-0 in the NBA Finals, while LeBron James did not. In order to put the debate to rest and settle who is the GOAT of the NBA, it is time to compare two of the top five players of all time, LeBron James and Michael Jordan, to come out with one winner.

Scoring – Michael Jordan

LeBron James is known as one of the greatest passers of all time, as he probably ranks behind only Magic Johnson and John Stockton as a floor general and playmaker. The King is still a talented scorer, as his career 27.2 PPG ranks 5th all-time behind only Kevin Durant, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, and of course, Michael Jordan. James is the greatest player ever when it comes to attacking the rim, but he isn’t the best shooter, as he shoots only 34.4% from three and 73.4% from the free-throw line despite playing in the modern era.

Obviously, Michael is the greatest scorer ever. The dominant shooting guard won 10 scoring titles in his career, and his career 30.1 PPG average ranks 1st all time. With a slew of moves and counter-moves, Michael is the greatest scorer ever, with only Kobe Bryant coming close to him in that regard. No comparison here, even if LeBron James becomes the all-time leading scorer in total points scored this season.

Shooting – Michael Jordan

LeBron isn’t the best shooter when looking at his consistency, form, or percentages. James is best at scoring near the rim and might be the greatest scorer ever when it comes to attacking the rim. But James shoots poorly from the free-throw line for his status (73.5% FT) and can’t make shots consistently. He came into the NBA as a poor shooter but has developed to become a solid mid-range scorer, even if his three-point shot goes and comes. When shooting two-pointers (paint shots included), James is terrific, with a career 55.4% field goal percentage. Nobody can really trust The King to make jumpers consistently if the paint is compacted, as evidenced by his career 34.4% 3-PT FG. As The King is benefiting from the three-point era, he is not the shooter that Michael was.

No doubt, Michael might be the greatest mid-range scorer ever, with only Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant coming close to him. Jordan’s fadeaway from mid-range was unstoppable (51.0% 2-point field-goal percentage), and his free-throw shooting was also close to automatic as he averaged 83.5% from the stripe. Michael shot under 80% from the line only twice in his career. The 10-time scoring champion did not play in the three-point shooting era and shot only 32.7% from three in his career, but if he had, his percentages would have been higher without a doubt. Again, no comparison here.

Athleticism – LeBron James

LeBron James is the greatest physical specimen that we have ever seen. At 6’9” and at least 250 lbs, James is a locomotive when he attacks the rim and has an elite vertical at 44” and speed. Especially in his younger days, James could dominate a game completely due to his athleticism. As he refined his game, James became an even scarier player with power, explosiveness, and basketball IQ. No doubt, James could have played any sport he put his mind to because his athleticism is off the charts.

Michael is the most athletic shooting guard ever and had the best style and grace with the way he hung in the air. But Michael was 3 inches shorter than James and about 30 pounds lighter, yet The King had explosiveness and speed that is off the charts. Michael has similar speed, explosiveness, and certainly a higher vertical that was 48”, but he does not have James’ weight and power. The edge goes to The King because he is the greatest athlete ever.

Defense – Michael Jordan

LeBron James was a dominant defensive player in his prime, making 6 All-Defensive Teams and coming close to winning Defensive Player of the Year as a member of the Miami Heat when he finished runner-up to Marc Gasol in 2013. No doubt, LeBron James should have made more All-Defensive Teams over his career because he has the physical tools to be the best defender of all time. He was an incredible defender early on in his career and especially with the Miami Heat, but he started giving up on defense as he aged and has been considered a liability.

Another no-brainer, Michael Jordan, is a better defender than LeBron James. With elite physical gifts, Michael could stay with any offensive player with his lateral quickness and basketball IQ, reasons why he made 9 All-Defensive Teams and even won the 1988 Defensive Player of the Year award. Jordan averaged a career 2.3 SPG and 0.8 BPG compared to LeBron’s 1.6 SPG and 0.8 BPG, so no comparison here.

Handles – Michael Jordan

LeBron James has a few moves that are hard to stop. When he backs up with the ball and goes one-on-one with a defender, everyone knows he is attacking the rim, and there is no stopping the 6’9” locomotive. He also developed a solid spin move and has some decent post-moves right now as an older player. But James won’t fool many defenders with his dribbling ability when force is not needed.

Michael is a far better ball-handler and is a more skilled offensive player overall. The GOAT could use his patented crossover to stun defenders and had every move in the post as well. Jordan could score in any way that he wanted, and using his handles to move around the court was a joy to watch. Again, nobody should be able to debate that James is a better ball handler than Michael because the eye test never lies.

Clutch – Michael Jordan

LeBron James’ biggest criticism has been about his clutch ability. The King is a pass-first player, meaning there will be countless instances where James will pass up big shots or trust his teammates to come through. He is not a natural-born killer at the end of games and has had many moments where standing around or passing up the final shot has looked bad on him. LeBron has some historical game-winners because he is an all-time great, but nobody trusts James like they would when Michael has the ball.

Perhaps other than Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan is the most clutch player of all time. Jordan could get it done on both ends in clutch situations, as evidenced by his iconic Game 6 performance in the “Last Dance” season against the Utah Jazz in the NBA Finals. Michael was a more skilled player than James and could create his own shot. Nobody made defenders shiver with fright in clutch moments more than the great Michael Jordan.

Leadership – Even

LeBron is an iconic leader, and he did it by uplifting his teammates. He never put a foot wrong off the court and is a pristine leader when it comes to setting an example of how to act as a basketball player and global icon. James makes his teammates better, no question about that, and that is an act of leadership. The King also works hard on his body, spending up to $1.5 million per year on his body and always remaining in the best shape possible. Of course, making 10 NBA Finals appearances with 8 straight appearances is evidence of him being the best leader in the game right now.

Jordan had a totally different leadership style than James, as he liked to challenge his team and force them to get to his level. Oftentimes, it would lead to hard feelings, and some of his teammates did not like him, but it yielded results. If Jordan’s aggressive leadership style did not earn 6 NBA titles, James would be a far better leader. But Michael won 6 rings, and he elevated the play of guys like Scottie Pippen because of it, so this is even.

Basketball IQ – Even

LeBron James is one of the smartest players of all time, and his ability to set up his teammates with passing is unreal. The King averages a career 7.3 APG despite being a small forward who is also a primary scoring option, a testament to his greatness as a leader and floor general. LeBron understands the game, has improved over the years, and knows how to influence games with scoring, passing, or rebounding.

Michael is not the passer that LeBron James is, but he is a genius at scoring the ball and playing defense. The shooting guard’s fundamentals were incredibly pure, as he always knew how to play the right way to win. Jordan’s basketball IQ was tuned to winning, whether he needed to score 30 points or play lockdown defense. Because of LeBron’s elite playmaking, this one is even.

Impact – Even

LeBron James’ impact as an all-around player is truly incredible, and could be the greatest triple-double threat of all time. The King can put up a triple-double during any game, and as a passer, he makes everyone better. The King is also an incredible player because he can carry a team of nobodies to the NBA Finals as he has done many times in the past, including in the 2007 season and the 2018 season. James is always in the Finals when he has no business being there.

Jordan might not be the triple-double threat that James is, but his impact as a scorer, leader, and defender is undeniably great. The proof is in the pudding because he constantly made the playoffs, even as a young player, and won 6 NBA titles as the best player in the world. Michael Jordan could score 40 points against anybody, and his clutch plays were legendary. This one is even again.

Efficiency – Even

LeBron James is an efficiency king, as evidenced by the fact he shoots a career 50.5% from the field while averaging 27.2 PPG. His free-throw shooting isn’t great, as 73.4% for a career isn’t that great, especially when The King has missed critical free throws numerous times. But James generally shoots a high field goal percentage when he plays because he is unstoppable at the rim and cannot be defended at all. In terms of player efficiency rating (PER), James has a career 27.3 PER which ranks 3rd all-time behind Michael Jordan and Nikola Jokic.

Jordan is also incredibly efficient because even if he averaged 30.1 PPG, which ranks 1st all-time on 22.9 field-goal attempts per game, he shot 49.7% from the field and 83.5% from the free-throw line. Michael shot close to 50% despite averaging over 30 PPG, an incredible statistic. But he only shot 32.7% from three, and even if he never prioritized the three like players do today, it would be unfair to LeBron to disregard this number. In PER, MJ has a 27.9, which ranks 1st all-time ahead of LeBron James, which should sway this comparison in his favor. But James shoots a higher field-goal percentage and does have a statistical edge in the three-point percentage. That means this comparison category is even, as a result.

1-On-1 Game – Michael Jordan

LeBron James is a force in one-on-one situations because he has the size to punish defenders, especially when around the rim. As he aged, James also became a more consistent knockdown shooter from the perimeter and has developed a solid one-legged fadeaway that he is showing as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. Defensively, James was also solid in his prime, although that has waned a little bit.

Obviously, Michael Jordan is the greatest one-on-one player of all time. The legendary shooting guard has every offensive move in the book and is equally as effective on defense. Jordan could blast past his defenders, back them down for the fadeaway jumper, or draw fouls. Other than Kobe Bryant, who comes close, no player dominated more one-on-one matchups like Jordan, although the Bulls superstar is in a league of his own.

Longevity – LeBron James

LeBron James is truly a special athlete. He has hardly been injured in his career, keeps going strong at 38 years old, and is in his 20th season. The King has been a top-5 player in the world since he became an All-Star in his second season in the NBA and hasn’t slowed down just yet. No player can ever match what LeBron had done, as his body has held up tremendously well, as even Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wasn’t the same player in his 20th season. No comparison here, even if Jordan played in 15 seasons.

Michael Jordan could have had better longevity had he never retired on two different stints, and there is speculation about why he retired. Not to mention, Jordan hardly missed games when he was in the league and was an “ironman” in that regard. Regardless, Jordan played 15 seasons in the NBA, although two seasons occurred with under 20 games played due to injury and a late comeback from retirement. It is hard to compare 20 years to 15, and LeBron James will forever be the undisputed longevity king.

Career – Michael Jordan

LeBron James has had a legendary career, no matter what critics will say. James won 4 MVP awards in the regular season and deserved all of them because his stat-sheet stuffing and dominance as an individual were spectacular. Despite joining a few superteams in free agency, James did win 4 NBA titles and won the Finals MVP award each time. The King will also retire as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and has an incredible 18 All-Star and 18 All-NBA appearances. Truly incredible stuff from the man who seems to have a body that does not break down.

As great as LeBron’s career has been, Michael’s has been better. Jordan has more MVP awards (5), more championships and Finals MVP awards (6), and has a key Defensive Player of the Year trophy. Jordan also won 10 scoring titles to LeBron’s 1 scoring title, but the championships ultimately prove the difference. Jordan never had to leave his team to win titles and only needed Scottie Pippen to become an All-Star to win 6 of them. LeBron had an incredible list of Hall of Famers as teammates and managed 4 NBA titles. In the end, Jordan had the better career and, in fact, has the best resume of all time.

Final Result

LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan 2-7

In the end, the comparison isn’t close. This isn’t a knock on LeBron James, who is the most spectacular athlete of all time when taking into account his longevity and physique. Not to mention, LeBron James has had immense pressure on him as soon as he entered the NBA. But Jordan has more accolades than any player ever, and it is hard to compare any basketball player to him. Michael won 6 NBA titles, 6 Finals MVPs, 5 MVPs, 10 scoring tiles, and a Defensive Player of the Year award compared to 4 NBA titles, 4 Finals MVPs, 4 MVPs, and 1 scoring title from LeBron. Jordan was also a more skilled two-way player than James and got it done on both ends longer than The King.

James just has the edge in playmaking, longevity, and athleticism because he has these advantages over every other player ever in totality. Those are important advantages because The King proved he can compete with Jordan in some areas and have an edge in some areas as well. The way that James can lead his teammates to victory and carry them to the NBA Finals is legendary because he is a legitimate triple-double threat. No doubt, The King has exceeded expectations as his mentality was elite as a teenager, and he knew he had the gifts to succeed in the NBA. Even with all these things going for him, James is simply not Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan averaged 30.1 PPG over his career and achieved all his accolades with great efficiency and dominance. Nobody made defenders fear a player more than Michael did, and the proof is in the pudding because going 6-0 in the Finals with 6 Finals MVPs is truly extraordinary. LeBron is considered the greatest player of all time by most of the younger audiences, but Jordan is simply on a level of his own and he is the GOAT once and for all. 

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