The Lakers are in Chicago tonight to face the Bulls at the United Center. Before the game, the Lakers’ head coach, JJ Redick, spoke to the media, where he was asked about comparing LeBron James and Michael Jordan, since the Lakers play in Chicago.
“I’ve always said the greatest players of any era would be great in any era. It’s hard to compare eras, play styles, and, to me, it’s even hard to compare stats. Jordan is 1, LeBron is 1; Jordan is 2, LeBron is 2. However, you want to do it, to me, they’re the two greatest players of all time,” said Redick in his initial assessment.
“I think the biggest thing is, you hear stories about how LeBron prepares. I was never his teammate, so I didn’t get to experience it firsthand, but now, being around him, in the last year and a half, he’s a maniac. He’s maniacal about his approach and his preparation,” Redick further deliberated.
“Every single day is centered around how do I prepare my body for the next game. And I said it the other night, it’s the perfect example for any other basketball player of how to approach their career and their craft, that’s the reason he’s been doing it for so long and at such a high level.”
The debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James for the greatest player of all time comes down to metrics of success, boiling down to elite stints vs. longevity. Jordan won his six championships in two three-year stints, i.e., six years in his 15-year NBA career.
Meanwhile, James is currently playing his 23rd NBA season and has four NBA championships to show for it. Therefore, the key difference here is what an individual defines as the greatness metric for a player.
Moreover, neither of these players plays in the same position. Yet, the basketball world insists on comparing them even though they played different roles on the court.
Jordan averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.3 steals over 1072 regular season games. He shot 49.7% from the field and 32.7% from behind the arc.
On the other hand, James is averaging 26.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists over 1589 games while shooting 50.6% from the field and 34.9% from beyond the three-point line.
James is currently 41 years old and would usually prefer to avoid playing in back-to-back games. However, when the need arose, James resorted to the nine-point gameday checklist that allowed him to play in back-to-back games even at this point in his career.
Therefore, instead of comparing greatness, we should appreciate what LeBron James is currently doing and save those debates for a time when even James has retired. Redick naturally tipped his hat to the greatness that James brings every day without belittling or saying anything against Jordan.
The Lakers won the game 129-118. They improved to 28-17 for the season and will face the Cavaliers on the road for their next game on Wednesday. The Bulls fell to a 23-23 regular season record and will face the Pacers in Indiana on Wednesday, January 28, as well.
