Michael Jordan and LeBron James are widely regarded as the two who are vying for the title of greatest basketball player of all time. One area where Jordan has the clear edge is championships and a deeper look at their win-loss records in NBA Finals games shows just how much better the Chicago Bulls icon fared on the big stage.
Michael Jordan In NBA Finals: 24-11
1991 NBA Finals vs. Los Angeles Lakers: 4-1
1992 NBA Finals vs. Portland Trail Blazers: 4-2
1993 NBA Finals vs. Phoenix Suns: 4-2
1996 NBA Finals vs. Seattle SuperSonics: 4-2
1997 NBA Finals vs. Utah Jazz: 4-2
1998 NBA Finals vs. Utah Jazz: 4-2
LeBron James In NBA Finals: 22-33
2007 NBA Finals vs. San Antonio Spurs: 0-4
2011 NBA Finals vs. Dallas Mavericks: 2-4
2012 NBA Finals vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: 4-1
2013 NBA Finals vs. San Antonio Spurs: 4-3
2014 NBA Finals vs. San Antonio Spurs: 1-4
2015 NBA Finals vs. Golden State Warriors: 2-4
2016 NBA Finals vs. Golden State Warriors: 4-3
2017 NBA Finals vs. Golden State Warriors: 1-4
2018 NBA Finals vs. Golden State Warriors: 0-4
2020 NBA Finals vs. Miami Heat: 4-2
It is quite interesting to note that despite James having gotten to the NBA Finals 10 times as opposed to just six for Jordan, he still has fewer wins. Even though LeBron got swept twice, you’d still have assumed he’d have won more games in the Finals.
This further supports the argument in some ways, that ultimately, the Bulls legend is the greater player among the two. We also did a comparison of Jordan and LeBron in the NBA Finals, with the former coming out on top in it. A full career comparison shows Jordan to be greater than LeBron as well.
James still has time to add to his resume, though, and the way he is going, you wouldn’t put it past him to win another championship. The 38-year-old is averaging 25.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game in the 2023-24 season, and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down in his 21st season.
LeBron James Believes He Is The GOAT
While some might go the humble route and refrain from anointing themselves as the greatest, LeBron isn’t one of them. After he broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record earlier this year, James said he is the best basketball player that ever played the game.
“What I bring to the table as a basketball player … I feel like I’m the best basketball player that ever played the game,” he said. “That’s just my confidence, that’s just what I bring to the table, what I possess. But as far as if the scoring record gets me to another level, I don’t know.”
You admire the confidence and it’s not an outlandish claim by any means, of course. If there is something that James has never lacked, it’s confidence in his abilities and he’d take himself over anyone else that has played the game. As for Jordan, he refused to be called the GOAT.
Gilbert Arenas Spoke On The Negative Impact Of The GOAT Debate On LeBron James
Gilbert Arenas is one of those who firmly believes LeBron is the greatest player ever. While he has indulged in those arguments, Arenas feels the GOAT debate with Jordan has negatively affected James.
“I know what you asked but it is sad. The narrative around who’s the GOAT that has basically taken away everything that he has been doing for the last four to five years. I don’t think people are paying attention to what’s going on. There’s not even one superstar in our history who has done not even 25% of what he is doing at this age. But because the Jordan-LeBron thing is going on, everybody’s been paying attention to all the negative things about him instead of watching history.”
Arenas is known for dishing out wild and outlandish takes, but this was a pretty sensible one. We should appreciate the greatness that we see from LeBron on a nightly basis, instead of focusing on the negatives. We’re probably never going to see anything like this ever again, so enjoy it while it lasts.
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