The debate regarding who is the greatest NBA player of all-time is something that will probably go on as long as the NBA exists. But among the thousands of players that have played in the league, there are two players whose names are usually thrown when this debate is brought on.
Yes, we are talking about none other than Michael Jordan and LeBron James. While MJ has long retired from the league, his impact on the NBA is something that can never be overlooked. Moreover, he has almost a spotless resume which obviously makes him the leading contender to be considered as the GOAT.
On the other hand, James might have joined the NBA after MJ, but he has proved over the years what he can do. Also, the fact that he still has the ability to play basketball at an elite level even when he is set to enter the 20th season of his career boosts his case for someday surpassing Jordan as the GOAT.
Speaking of this debate, many NBA players have given their opinion on the same. One recent former NBA star to do so was Ray Allen. Allen is considered one of the best shooters of all-time, and he has shared the locker room with James as well. Despite that, he picked MJ as the GOAT.
Although people understood and respected his decision, the reasons he gave were absurd. One of them is that MJ was a better 3-point shooter than LeBron. An NBA fan on Twitter decided to call out Allen and clarify the situation with stats.
Seasons where they shot below 29% from 3:
LeBron: 0
Jordan: 8
Don’t let Ray Allen see this 💀
— 🎭 (@MaskedInLA) July 11, 2022
Seasons where they shot below 20% from 3:
LeBron: 0
Jordan: 5
— 🎭 (@MaskedInLA) July 11, 2022
These facts prove that no matter how good of a player Mike was, he was never really a great 3-point shooter in his career.
It’s certainly not a shot at MJ because the era in which he played scoring points using the 3-pointer wasn’t as common as it is today. Obviously, LeBron is also not a superb 3-point shooter, but he is at least better than Jordan. When we compare the stats of the two, it becomes even clearer.
MJ averaged 32.7% from the 3-point line in his career. As compared to it, LeBron is currently averaging 34.9% from the 3-point line. However, MJ attempted just 1.7 three-pointers per game in his career and made 0.5 on average. Meanwhile, LeBron has attempted 4.5 three-pointers per game and has made 1.6 on average.
With these stats out there, you can get a much better understanding of the difference between the eras that the two legendary players played in. This definitely has an impact on their shot selection and why MJ is not considered a great 3-point shooter.
