The GOAT debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James continues to rage on despite MJ being acknowledged as the greatest by many people and even media members like Stephen A. Smith say that it’s officially over. LeBron’s incredible longevity is making it more of a conversation as well, with James poised to overtake Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer soon. With that said, LeBron fans, in particular, have a lot more to say in terms of making his case.
Now, a page on NBA Twitter, Facts Over Opinions has brought a new angle into the debate. LeBron James is often panned for teaming up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh for his first two titles, but Michael Jordan’s Bulls teams rarely see accusations of MJ having a lot of help.
However, as was pointed out, during MJ’s first three-peat, Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant provided more production than Wade and managed over the 3 Finals appearances the Heat made with their Big 3.
I was told MJ carried those Bulls teams while
Lebron was part of a “SuperTeam”?
So how come MJ’s #2 and #3 have more rebounds, double the assists, and shot better than “Lebron’s SuperTeam”?
I need answers. pic.twitter.com/5fAILU1Caj
— Facts over Opinions (@FunFactsnStats) May 8, 2022
Grant, who averaged nearly 12 points and 8.5 rebounds per game during the three-peat is often forgotten, although he was a key piece for the Bulls in ensuring they won their first three NBA championships. Scottie Pippen is often acknowledged as Jordan’s main co-star, but his average of 20.3 points per game and 8 more rebounds during that playoff stretch is enough to establish him as a much more significant contributor than he is credited as being.
A lot of these situations are about the optics, the Bulls were built while the Miami Heat were ‘bought’ in a sense. James and Bosh joined Wade in Miami as free agents, deciding to create a team that would be almost invincible. It should also be considered though, that the Heat lost two finals while the Bulls lost none, so that helps explain why the Bulls are given the advantage when this is spoken about.
