LeBron James vs. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Career Comparison: King James Is Not Better Than Kareem

LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are the two players, outside Michael Jordan, who are both given the most credit for being the best player of all time. The cause is their enduring excellence, endurance, and general influence on the game of basketball throughout their careers. LeBron is currently playing in his 19th season, while Kareem played 20 seasons. Both players have left a permanent mark on the league from day one.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer in terms of points scored is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with LeBron James just behind him. They each have at least 15 All-NBA Team appearances, at least 4 NBA titles, and two NBA Finals MVP awards. They both play with a lot of dominance and have for a very long time, spanning nearly two decades each. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also managed to win three championships in his three years at UCLA, which has led to many people considering him the greatest basketball player of all time across all competition levels.

LeBron James, on the other hand, is the most touted and adored superstar athlete ever. He has been a superb player since high school. To try to distinguish between the 2 legends, it is time to compare the careers of both players by their most important team achievements and individual accolades.

Championships

LeBron James: 4 (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 6 (1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988)

Whenever the goat debate takes place, NBA championships are often the first thing that comes up. After all, winning is what matters most, and the greatest player of all time must be a winner of the highest order. Both players captured at least 4 NBA titles, but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has 6 rings. This beats out LeBron’s total so far and also gives a massive edge to Kareem in this comparison. LeBron dominated the court with the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Lakers en route to 4 championships with three different teams.

Kareem managed to win 6 NBA rings with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, occupying the starting center spot. Kareem was lucky enough to play alongside Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, and James Worthy, while LeBron James had Kyrie Irving, Dwyane Wade, and Anthony Davis. Both legends played with Hall of Famers, and Kareem gets the nod here in the end because nobody will argue that 6 beats 4 every day of the week.

Advantage: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Finals MVP Awards

LeBron James: 4 (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 2 (1971, 1985)

While Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has 6 NBA titles, which is 2 more than LeBron James, James has 4 Finals MVPs over Kareem’s 2. This might be more impressive than having 2 more MVP Awards as well because being the best player in the Finals results in winning NBA championships rather than winning games in the regular season. LeBron James has 4 Finals MVPs and 4 NBA titles, meaning he was the best player for each of his NBA rings. LeBron was the best player in the world for his championships with the Heat, Cavs, and Lakers, and will be hoping he can add the 5th one soon.

Kareem has 2 Finals MVPs because he played alongside the likes of the great Magic Johnson and James Worthy, who won the remaining Finals MVPs that were given out at the respective NBA Finals series. LeBron needs 2 more seasons at least to catch Kareem’s 6 NBA rings, but he has already surpassed Kareem’s 2 Finals MVPs. In some ways, that could be more impressive.

Advantage: LeBron James

MVP Awards

LeBron James: 4 (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 6 (1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980)

The MVP Award is also another major achievement that comes up in GOAT debates. This award shows who is the best player throughout an entire regular season, and in the case of both of these players, it shows how many times they were the best player in the league. Kareem has 6 MVP Awards, which is very incredible, while LeBron James has 4.

LeBron James was unlucky not to have more because he suffered from being too good in the regular season for modern voters. It would have been “too boring” to give LeBron the MVP every year, so the likes of Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose might have stolen some MVP Awards from LeBron. But winning 4 MVP awards does signify that The King was the best player of his generation.

Kareem deserves all 6 MVP Awards because he was the most dominant superstar in the NBA on both ends of the floor. Kareem has the unstoppable and unblockable sky-hook shot on offense and was also one of the greatest defensive centers ever. Either way, this ends in Kareem’s favor as well.

Advantage: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

All-NBA Teams

LeBron James: 18 (13 First Team, 3 Second Team, 2 Third Team)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 15 (10 First Team, 5 Second Team)

This actually might be the most impressive accolade in LeBron’s career besides his Finals MVPs. LeBron managed to beat out Kareem’s amazing achievement of 15 All-NBA Teams. Nobody thought anyone would play as long as LeBron has and still be the best player in the world, so he gets the nod over Kareem in this regard. By completing a very difficult 2020 season, LeBron made his 16th All-NBA Team to one-up Kareem.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is recognized for his longevity. He played 15 seasons out of 20 at an All-NBA level, something astonishing and even more incredible considering he was a center who took a ton of hits in the paint as a big man. Kareem was consistent and dominant for a decade and a half and earned this achievement. But LeBron James beat him out here.

Advantage: LeBron James

All-Star Selections

LeBron James: 18

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 19

LeBron James has had a total of 18 All-Star appearances as he approaches the age of 38. James’s early start as a superstar boosted the number of All-Star Teams he participated in, but the reality remains that he will likely match Kareem Abdul-Jabbar by the end of this season. Making 18 All-Star Teams is no small feat, and he still has time to make a couple more before his career is through. At the time of his retirement, it is likely that The King will finish with 20 All-Star appearances, another record that LeBron will have.

Meanwhile, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has a total of 19 All-Star appearances. That is an incredible achievement for a center because the majority of players struggle to stay healthy and play at a star level for that long and often break down when battling in the paint. But Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most intelligent players ever, and he was able to impact the game for a very long time. As a bonafide All-Star offensive player, Abdul-Jabbar simply destroyed defenses with his scoring year after year. Even on defense, Kareem was holding his own. No doubt, Abdul-Jabbar was a dominant All-Star player and a one-of-a-kind talent.

Advantage: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

All-Defensive NBA Teams

LeBron James: 6 (5 First Team, 1 Second Team)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 11 (5 First Team, 6 Second Team)

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. LeBron 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 lost out in this comparison of accolades.

This one ends in Kareem’s favor as well. Kareem is widely recognized as one of the greatest defensive players ever. He had 11 All-Defensive Teams in 20 years, which is impressive. His career stats of 2.6 BPG and 0.9 SPG is impressive as well. Kareem was a beast on defense, even in his 40s, because he had size and awareness to his advantage. Kareem knew how to affect any game defensively because he could read the opponent’s plays and moves naturally.

Advantage: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Total Win Shares

LeBron James: 249.8

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 273.4

Win Shares is a statistic that tries to allocate a team’s wins for each player on the roster. For example, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar owns the single-season record for Win Shares with 25.4 during 1971-72 on a Milwaukee Bucks team that won 63 games. In terms of contributing to a winning side and helping his side to win games consistently, it is obvious Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has a better win shares rating than LeBron James.

LeBron James has an extraordinary win shares rating of 249.8, a solid figure but slightly less than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s. James is one of the most impactful players of all time and has been on multiple winning teams throughout history, mainly because the small forward does everything so well on the court. The King’s win shares rating actually ranks second all-time behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who has the best win shares rating in NBA history.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s win share rating ranks 1st all-time ahead of some other top stars, including LeBron James (2nd), Wilt Chamberlain (3rd), Karl Malone (4th), and Michael Jordan (5th). The superstar center influenced the game in various ways, including scoring the ball consistently with the sky hook and defending the rim. Abdul-Jabbar’s win share rating is very impressive, and it blows most players out of the water. LeBron James is the only player to have the closest win shares rating to Kareem, but he is second. Therefore, Abdul-Jabbar has another major advantage over LeBron James.

Advantage: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Career Player Efficiency Rating

LeBron James: 27.3

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 24.6

Player Efficiency Rating, better known as PER, is a statistic created by John Hollinger that’s goal is to give each NBA player a comprehensive rating. Hollinger’s PER metric is unique because it combines a player’s positive and negative contributions on the court.

With a PER of 27.3, LeBron James is the 2nd-best player of all time, according to the statistic, behind Michael Jordan. James has winning potential because of his incredible offensive skill set and managed to have shooting splits of 50.5% FG, 34.6% 3-PT FG, and 73.4% FT while averaging 27.1 PPG over his career. On any level, that is absolutely elite, and James is always looking for new ways to enhance his game. James’s PER is quite significant when looking at his ability to impact the scoresheet across the board.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ranks 15th all-time with a PER of 24.6. Abdul-Jabbar has a positive influence on winning due to his incredible two-way skill set as a dominant center. Abdul-Jabbar managed to have shooting splits of 55.9% FG and 72.1% FT while averaging a career 24.6 PPG, 11.2 RPG, and 3.6 APG. The superstar center ranks 15th all-time in PER, and his figure is behind other elite centers, including Wilt Chamberlain, David Robinson, Shaquille O’Neal, and surprisingly, Karl-Anthony Towns. But Kareem’s PER is behind LeBron’s, as he loses this particular comparison.

Advantage: LeBron James

Final Score

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs. LeBron James 5-3

In the end, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has a significant career advantage over LeBron James, and that will stay the course unless James can add two more championships while usurping the center in All-Star appearances. Abdul-Jabbar earns the advantages in this career comparison so far because of his incredible dominance during his prime and his gift of being a consistent offensive force in competing at a high level for 20 seasons. That gives The Captain the advantage of appearing in more All-Star games while padding his stats.

At 5-3, this does not seem like a very close career comparison, even if both players are exceptional players with impactful playing styles. In terms of playing defense, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the best of all time. Obviously, James is not on the same level in terms of defensive acumen. An All-Star stalwart, Abdul-Jabbar could dominate the court through sheer size, and the sky hook made him unstoppable year after year.

But credit must go to LeBron James for lasting as long as he has and for dominating the league when his teams have won championships. Having an edge in PER, All-NBA, and Finals MVPs is no easy feat, but that is even more impressive when he passes Kareem in those categories. But LeBron clearly does not have a career advantage right now.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar might be the greatest center ever, while LeBron James has to be the best small forward ever. Abdul-Jabbar was taller at 7’2”, and that meant Abdul-Jabbar could accumulate more All-Star and All-Defensive selections compared to the talented forward, who was shorter but actually weighed more. But overall, Abdul-Jabbar has a 5-3 career advantage in major accolade categories. 

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