"More Than an Athlete" is an eight-episode series that examines the various stages and moments of LeBron James' journey from basketball prodigy to global sports icon, businessman and philanthropist through the lens of the unique bonds of friendship and partnership that forged among four men -- James, Maverick Carter, Randy Mims and Rich Paul -- over more than two decades. Other younger players look as if they could also cross the 30,000-point threshold. Jordan fanshave championships in their back pockets. They have both made the most impact for their respective teams, they have also made rookie of the year their first years. Pick a side, nerds! 28.2 Player Efficiency Rating (PER) 28.6, 33.9 Value Over Replacement (VORP) 24.7. The Emmy Award-winning 10-part documentary is now available on Blu-ray for a limited time. This translated in outlawing defensive contact when a player is in the perimeter, which in turn allowed players to relentlessly attack the lane and score on spectacular layups or dunks in a manner similar to what Jordan popularized. Jordan and Lebron, Mike and the King, have been exalted above all other players, repeatedly for their superior play and championship drive. Simmons purpose is to show the effects of being driven by competition and how that has brought James into the discussion for the greatest basketball player of all time. And he shot better now from distance (38.9% vs. 36.7%). MJ attends the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. Two exceptional talents. One reason is because of Jordans NBA finals stats. Bill Russells nemesis in their famous rivalry dropped off by nearly six points per game from the season before and still posted the second-highest scoring average in NBA history. Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. They revolutionized the game and brought a standard to be met- Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. James has made 1,714 three pointers, When it comes to this debate, we'll let MJ and LeBron have the last word -- for now. WebLeBron James seems to be ignoring the memo on Father Time's undefeated record. Davis agreed, too, with a twist that neatly summarized these two greats differing approaches at this historic crossing. See All. If the more dominate player already isnt clear, its Michael, Who is the greatest basketball player of all time? Michael Jordan has 6 rings while LeBron has 3 rings. ESPN.com once had an analytical piece headlined: Is LeBron breaking the aging curve? It was posted in December 2017. This season marked the sixth of Chamberlains seven straight scoring titles. LeBron has the highest VORP and Win Shares ever. LeBron is probably going to pass Kareem and we dont even think of him as a scorer, said Sacramento Kings color commentator Doug Christie, who defended James during his 2003 pro debut. On March 28th, 2003 the ultimate rivalry took place between Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Michael Jordan was six and zero in the National Basketball Association finals, but he did not have the productivity like LeBron James did. MJ is the best basketball player to ever play, I feel like MJ is the G.O.A.T. Ive failed over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed (MJ). Of those, only LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki the sixth-highest scorer all time are still playing. 1, but plenty of other performers are staying in the mix as the Kia MVP discussion nears the finish line. His final seasons thinned that to 24.6, dropping him to 17th. most points scored by a player in their 20th season, LeBron James will be GOAT over Michael Jordan once he gets NBA's scoring record, says Chandler Parsons. So Karl Malone would have caught and passed him in 2003 before LeBron and reigned as the NBAs all-time points leader for 19 years until March 19 in Washington, when James would have taken over by reaching 36,929. The top of the people that could change the logo would be the person that is the best to play the game and is Michael Jordan and is also the jumpman logo. 3, chasing Kareem at the top LeBron James and champion Lakers join NBA TV after Game 6 win Lakers rally from 27 down in Dallas as Anthony Davis closes with force, from passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the top spot on that same list, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Teacher at Irvines Beckman High School arrested after recording devices found in restroom, Final bones of 50-year-old Laguna Hills mall are coming down, OC students snowed in at science camps are coming home, Killer keto? While some differences between Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan are evident, the similarities are striking which caused the entire dilemma on whos the better version. Compare And Contrast Michael Jordan And Lebroon James, LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan Nowadays, the question that looms over every NBA fan and analysts head is, Who is the greatest of all time? Per 36 minutes this season, his 15.2 scoring wasnt much off his 19.4 pro-rated rate nine years earlier. One person who isn't changing his mind anytime soon is First Take's Stephen A. Smith. If he got a half-step of separation, he could slice into the paint for acrobatic layups. It was all identical but not the same(P//5). Warning: This graphic requires JavaScript. The gap in total numbers will widen as long as James stays healthy, and he doesn't appear to be slowing down at age 38. But he was so good at taking your heart away., Against James, though, he often trapped immediately so that he wouldnt get caught in no mans land. That was Michael Jordan every night.. Their free throw output is very close; Jordan made 7,327 and LeBron has made 7,101. This all of course culminated in a GOAT debate. The top three point scorers Two months out from his 38th birthday, 19 days since setting the NBA's all-time scoring record and a week from a record-tying 19th All-Star appearance, LeBron James is still giving Father Time a game for the ages. BPM, VORP, handedness not available for WNBA. Numerous endorsements, an acting career, and widespread humanitarianism are only a few of the features that comprise the man we know as Lebron James. Not only does he need improvement his team needs it to. The harsh debate has gone on ever since Lebrons rookie season in 2004 when people started comparing him to Jordan. Of the others who entered the league straight from high school, Tracy McGrady (7.0) got closest to Bryants average one year later. Armand Emamdjomeh makes data visualizations, maps and graphics. Six rings. Stephen Jackson gives his take on the best basketball player between Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. James recently missed 18 games due to a strained groin muscle the longest break of his career. Keep scrolling to see how long it could take James to catch up to their records. He That included 30.0 ppg in seven summer contests in the Orlando bubble in the virus lockdown season. The only question now is, Who is the best basketball player?, Although the stats do not lie, people still believe there is an argument to be made over who the greatest basketball player of all time is because of the number of championships won. Not only dont players lead the league in scoring (or nearly so) at 37, they dont get close to averaging 30. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. With a film crew following them all season, "the last dance," as coach Phil Jackson called it, would be shadowed by tension and an overwhelming sense that their storied run was coming to an end. Many of the reasons why this decision can never be agreed on is because of many things. Most Valuable Player, NBA Champion, NBA All-Starthese are cover of a book of achievements earned by the most popular player in todays basketball community, Lebron James. Michael and Kobe have an unreal drive to win. And hes aged gracefully by becoming a much more effective and prolific outside shooter. The author explains that actually, Stephen Curry has no intrigued about the new face of NBA between him and Lebron James. However, Jordan has been much more loved by the fans than LeBron. ORB, DRB, STL, BLK, DRtg, BPM, VORP, and per 100 Poss stats since 1973-74. Against Jordan, Smith was expected to freelance off his man at a moments notice to provide help. I have no idea how Ive been able to do it.. The two have had amazing careers and are easily the top two to ever play the game. During Jordan time in the NBA, there were many great players like Shaquille ONeal and Kobe Bryant but out of these great players, Michael Jordan rose to the top. The analytics dont really help because LeBrons so complete, he said. In LeBrons first game, they threw the ball to him in the post, Christie said. Nothing was ever going to deter him, sometimes to a fault. Here we are 12 years later, after his Achilles tear, and hes scoring at the same clip, only missing a few too many appearances to qualify among the official league leaguers. waitingfornextyear.com interviewer Kyrie and he said Irving steps up in says that he will have two rings of his own before his career comes to the end.. Stay up to date on the race for Kia NBA MVP with a look at the latest performances from the top candidates. In the comments section. From the day LeBron James first picked up a basketball, he wanted to be like Mike. Jordan left college after his junior year to join the NBA. Both came to the NBA out of high school, both have been very high place since those early years, and made a huge impact on the league. However, Jordan was not only a basketball player, but someone who influenced the American culture and society. When it came to reliability at the line, Jordan (83.5 percent) clearly outpaced James (73.7 percent). For Jordan partisans, the Bulls' 6-0 record in Finals series is indisputable proof of his superiority. While both players are known for tenacious defense on the wing, Jordan finished first in the league in steals three times in his career. Through Michael Jordans athletic success on the court, he was able to make himself and his brand into a cultural icon, which had a great impact on the game of basketball, fashion, marketing, and the economy in America. As a result of the rule changes, an increase in pace, and a rise in the prevalence of three-pointers, NBA teams are averaging 110.9 points per game The largely forgotten Baylor, who set new standards for athletic moves and above-the-rim play in his time, had a special challenge in 1961-62. Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins are split on Isiah Thomas' comment that LeBron James will surpass Michael Jordan as the game's greatest if he wins a fourth championship. Note: Because some players birthdays fall during the NBA season, we are going with the age XX year as determined by Basketball-Reference.com. However, the reporters and fans always want to compare both of them because both players become one of the best players in NBA nowadays. LeBron has much competition with all the new all these new talents with so much potential. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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