Speaking on his podcast, former Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas noted some of the key differences between LeBron James and Michael Jordan in their twilight years. As Arenas pointed out on the show, Jordan was playing with almost no expectations at the time and it’s in stark contrast to the overwhelming pressure that hangs over LeBron into his 21st season.
“When you complain about his complaints about the team being bad at the age of 39,” said Arenas. “That means y’all still hold him at this high level that he should impact the game, but the greatest player of All-Time was playing at 38-39 on the Wizards and y’all didn’t hold him to no f*cking standards. Jordan went and GOT a team to try to make the playoffs. They didn’t make the playoffs. No one cared. Yeah, 39… he’s old!”
"Jordan went and GOT a team to try to make the playoffs. They didn't make the playoffs. No one cared. Yeah, 39…He's old."
Gil on LeBron and Jordan's playoff pushes after their primes pic.twitter.com/8WrJYHTv1L
— Gil’s Arena (@GilsArenaShow) January 11, 2024
For LeBron James, nothing strengthens his GOAT case more than his continued longevity after 20+ seasons. Even today, at 39 years old, James continues to be an All-NBA player with ultra-high expectations. The same cannot be said of Jordan at that age, who was in his final season with the Wizards. His play on the court was respectable enough, but nobody gave it any attention when the Wizards missed out on the playoffs.
Michael Jordan’s Underwhelming Finish
After retiring for the second time in 1998, nobody imagined that Michael would ever return to the court. He won the title that summer and retired as a living legend with 6 MVPs, 10 scoring titles, and 6 championships with the Bulls. When he returned to the league four seasons later, in a deal with the Washington Wizards, it surprised many at the time. Unfortunately, while Jordan had flashed of greatness from time to time, it was clear that he was a shell of his prime self and he was never able to make the same impact with the Wizards as he did on the Bulls.
In his final season, at 39 years old, Jordan averaged a career-low 20.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game on 44.5% shooting. After a 6-4 start, the Wizards struggled for the rest of the season and finished 9th in the East with a 37-45 record. Even so, Jordan’s run in D.C. is looked back on with favor from fans. Despite Michael’s past, nobody expected him to make any kind of noise at almost 40 years old. LeBron James continues to be an outlier in that regard.
No End In Sight For The King
Even after turning 39 this December, LeBron continues to win the war against Father Time. Currently, in year 21, James is averaging 25.1 points, 7.5 assists, and 7.2 rebounds per game on 52.6% shooting. He’s been the best player on the Lakers for years now and despite some durability concerns, he still looks as good as he ever has in a Lakers uniform.
Of course, this success has not translated well into the Lakers’ season. Like MJ’s Wizards, the Lakers are 9th in the West and are on track for a similar fate unless they make some major moves. The biggest difference for LeBron is that anything other than winning is viewed as a failure, even though he’s played over 1,400 games in his career.
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