One of the biggest arguments in the LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan debate is the question of how much help did each player have at various stages of their career.
The general consensus is that LeBron has been the beneficiary of a better supporting cast through various points of his career, mainly the Miami Heat days. The counterpoint to this from LeBron fans being that even though LeBron has had better teams throughout his career, he’s also had to struggle with some of the worst rosters imaginable while playing for Cleveland, somehow dragging both 2007 and 2018 squads to the Finals on his own shoulders.
Reddit user ZandrickEllison has decided to try and put the debate over who had the better teammates to bed once and for all, given the fact LeBron has just finished his 15th NBA season, the same amount of seasons played by Jordan.
ZandrickEllison compares the All-Star appearances of both LeBron’s and MJ’s teammates while playing alongside each player. Appearances made while on a roster not including either James or Jordan do not count.
As you can see, if we count All-Star appearances individually, LeBron beats out Jordan 14-6 in terms of All-Star teammates over the course of his career.
This isn’t to say James has had more help over the course of his career compared to Jordan, as if we’re being honest, LeBron pretty much made Mo Williams and Big Z All-Stars because they were playing alongside James himself. On top of that, none of LeBron’s teammates compare to Scottie Pippen apart from perhaps Wade.
So, even if the statement ‘LeBron has had more help during his career’ may be objectively true, it needs to be provided with context if it’s to be a viable argument in the LeBron vs. Jordan debate.
