After LeBron James failed to make the playoffs in his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers last year, basketball fans enjoyed a brief respite from the annual resurgence of the greatest sports debate of our time: Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James. Daytime talk shows have been going to the MJ vs. LeBron well for years, but the arguments always reached a peak whenever James would advance to the NBA Finals, which he did for eight consecutive years.
The coronavirus crisis may have forced a halt to the 2020 NBA season, but the Jordan vs. LeBron debate is set to take over Twitter once again with the release of “The Last Dance,” a 10-part documentary series on Jordan’s final championship season with the Bulls. A new generation of NBA fans will be exposed to Jordan’s achievements, and LeBron fans are already getting defensive on basketball Twitter.
If you’re looking for a rundown of achievements to reference in your next social media dispute, we’re here to help. Here’s the tale of the tape for Jordan vs. LeBron.
6-time NBA champion (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)
6-time NBA Finals MVP (6-0 record in NBA Finals)
5-time NBA MVP (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998)
1-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1988)
10-time All-NBA First Team
9-time All-NBA Defensive First Team
10-time NBA scoring champion
14-time NBA All-Star (3-time MVP)
1985 NBA Rookie of the Year
Points: 30.1
Rebounds: 6.2
Assists: 5.3
Steals: 2.3
Blocks: 0.8
FG %: .497
3P %: .327
Turnovers: 2.7
PER: 27.9
Win shares: 214.0
Value over replacement player: 116.1
28th in minutes (41,010)
5th in points (32,292 points)
45th in assists (5,633)
3rd in steals (2,514)
3-time NBA champion (2012, 2013, 2016)
3-time NBA Finals MVP (3-6 record in NBA Finals)
4-time NBA MVP (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013)
12-time All-NBA First Team
5-time All-NBA Defensive First Team
1-time NBA scoring champion
16-time NBA All-Star (3-time MVP)
2004 NBA Rookie of the Year
Points: 27.1
Rebounds: 7.4
Assists: 7.4
Steals: 1.6
Blocks: 0.8
FG %: .504
3P %: .344
Turnovers: 3.5
PER: 27.5
Win shares: 236.1
Value over replacement player: 133.2
8th in minutes (48,328)
3rd in points (34,087)
8th in assists (9,298)
49th in rebounds (9,353)
13th in steals (2,011)
2nd in turnovers (4,402)
