Speaking in a recent episode of ‘Inside the NBA,’ basketball legend Charles Barkley spoke up about LeBron James and the NBA’s GOAT debate. According to Chuck, there isn’t even an argument for LeBron given all that Michael accomplished during his time in the league.
Ernie Johnson: “LeBron is 2nd in 30-point games with 559, Jordan has 562.”
Charles Barkley: “LeBron has played how many more seasons than MJ and he’s still behind him that’s crazy. I love LeBron but for him to be that far behind MJ and he’s played eight more seasons? C’mon man, y’all need to stop this.”
Charles Barkley on Lebron being called the GOAT over MJ:
Ernie: "Lebron is 2nd in 30pt games with 559, MJ has 562"
Charles: "Lebron has played how many more seasons than MJ and hes still behind him thats crazy, yall need to stop this"
Lebron is nothing but a stat padding… pic.twitter.com/WWHCaFo2CE
— TheTruth (@Thetruth8240) November 27, 2024
We all know that LeBron is the king of longevity and after 21 years in the NBA, it’s no surprise when he breaks a record that involves racking up the stats. With 559 30-point games for his career, one might think that LeBron James is the leader of that category but somehow, Michael still holds the top spot with 562 30-point games in much less time.
This point is just one countless to be made on the debate surrounding LeBron James and Michael Jordan. As two of the greatest NBA legends, they are always being compared and fans are always discussing which one is more successful than the other.
As a whole, the NBA GOAT debate has been raging for decades now, and Michael Jordan has been leading the conversation ever since his rise to power in the early 90s. On the court, the Bulls legend was absolutely unstoppable, and his unmatched skills, athleticism, and drive made him one of the biggest stars in basketball history.
From 1984 to 2003, Jordan took the NBA by storm with 6 championships, 5 MVPs, 10 scoring titles, and 14 All-Star appearances. For his career, Michael averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game on 49.7% shooting.
With his career, LeBron James has come closer than anyone else to surpassing Jordan’s legacy but he still has a ways to go. As a 4x champion and 4x MVP, James falls behind in several key categories despite playing almost twice as long as the Bulls superstar.
It makes sense that LeBron, who frequently likes to take on more of a playmaking role, would score at a slower rate than Jordan — but after 21 years, you’d expect LeBron to be way ahead of anyone when it comes to putting the ball through the net, especially as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
Instead, the numbers show that while LeBron has been scoring for longer, Michael scored with more frequency throughout his career and it’s that same aggressive approach to the game that helped him have such a commanding presence on the court.
So, while LeBron James may own the record books when it’s all said and done, the fact that it took him this long to catch up says a lot about Jordan and how far ahead he was for his time. If his career was as long and durable as LeBron’s, there would be no question that he’s the GOAT but advances in sports medicine aren’t nearly what they are now and we’ll never get the chance to see it for ourselves.
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