Which player is better – Michael Jordan or LeBron James? NBA fans have been debating about this for a long time. MJ dominated the league during the 90s and contributed to the popularity of the league like no other. Despite being retired from the league for almost two decades, Jordan is still regarded as the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) by most fans.
On the other hand, we have LeBron James, who was dubbed ‘The Chosen One’ even before he entered the league. James came to the league as a teenager with the burden of turning around a franchise, and for the most part, he has delivered the expectations. Furthermore, LBJ is still playing in the league, so he has a chance to further improve his legacy.
But have you wondered what-if LeBron played in MJ’s era? In 2013, Jordan was asked which players he thought could play in his era. He named just four players, including LeBron.
However, as per MJ, that doesn’t mean that LBJ would have been as successful in his era as he is today. He said:
“The point is, no one is critiquing the personnel that he’s playing against. Their knowledge of how to play the game … that’s not a fair comparison. That’s not right … Could LeBron be successful in our era? Yes. Would he be as successful? No.”
So ‘His Airness’ believes that although James has the talents to play in the old era, his success would take a hit.
Considering what Jordan said, it also made sense when he revealed how he would stop LeBron James.
At the end of the day, both players are amazing in their own way and they played in different eras. If the two played in the same era then the debate would have been a tad bit more interesting.
Speaking of interesting facts, did you know LeBron James has played with more Hall of Fame players than Michael Jordan?
Anyway, what are your thoughts on these comments by Jordan from 2013? Do you think his opinion might have changed now or is Jordan’s era simply better than James’ era?
