Okay, so it’s not that simple is it? Hopefully I have your
attention though. LeBron’s career is
still in progress so I’m not going to get into the numbers too much. I will say, though, that LeBron is still ~3
ppg behind Jordan and is also missing quite a few other trophies and accolades
that MJ achieved. But that’s not how I
am basing my comparison here. I grew up thinking the world of MJ and I am a
very admitting “LeBron hater.” Only after realizing Jordan’s imperfections off
the court did I start to compare him and LeBron from an unbiased perspective. I
guess it took a dislike for both athletes to really compare them for what they
are – very different!
Yes, comparing these two amazing basketball players is, as
they say, like comparing apples to oranges. Not only do they play different
positions on the court, but they also have their own unique advantages and
disadvantages when making this argument. It's hard to keep this argument concise, but I tried!
LeBron, at 6’8” 250 lbs is a physical specimen. He possesses
all of the speed and talent of MJ but is far more of a physical force than
Jordan who was still an impressive 6’6 216lbs. While Jordan still edges him in
championships and ppg among other things, there is no denying that LeBron just
edges him in the physical domination category.
Basketball is a team sport, which makes a “1-on-1 comparison” very
misleading, but if Jordan and LeBron squared off in their respective primes, I’d
take LBJ every day of the week. However, the Bulls would probably win the game,
hah!
It does intrigue me, though, how Jordan managed to score
more ppg and win more titles (LBJ still has plenty of time, but that is
unlikely) than LeBron in a time when defense was actually still played in the
NBA. I attribute this to a few things. First, Jordan made everyone around him
better, and not just by passing the ball (both have similar assist numbers). MJ
had that intangible ability to motivate and elevate his teammates that maybe
LBJ just doesn’t have. MJ also had great role playing teammates. LBJ is
surrounded by talent, but Miami and Cleveland weren’t quite built like Chicago.
Also, Jordan was coached by one of the greatest ever in Phil Jackson, and
LeBron has yet to be on a team coached by anyone close to Jackson. Last and
probably least important, at 6’6 Jordan is smaller than LBJ, but the league has
grown on average and there were not as many humongous athletes as there are
today. That being said, maybe Jordan didn’t “need” to be as big as LeBron to
have his success in the 80’s and 90’s. I still think Jordan and his Bulls would
have a lot of success in today’s NBA, but that’s a hard call to make when the
league has changed so much. Would the fact that the NBA has gotten taller and
stronger have an effect on their success? Or would their balanced team-style
play and Jordan’s speed and skill still give them the same amount of dominance?
I’ve already stated my opinion on this, but I’ll say it
again. Based on raw size, style of play and talent, LeBron would have been
better than Jordan in his prime. But I have to reiterate, this comparison is so
difficult to make because everything and everyone has changed so much. Maybe if
Jordan was born in 1985 he would have become more like the guys in this era;
who knows? I know this blog has been scattered and I have been ranting, but I
hope my point has been clear. Thanks for reading, please feel free to disagree
and comment!
-Vince M. L.
Image credit: http://hectornba.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/lebron-james-michael-jordan.jpg
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