NBA
Did Michael Jordan Settle the MJ-LeBron James Debate Once and For All?
Joe Kozlowski began his career as a sports journalist in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2019. He covers the NBA and soccer for Sportscasting, with specialties in legacy NBA players such as Michael Jordan and Premier League club Arsenal. Off the clock, he's a Kansas City Chiefs fan and a hockey goalie. Growing up loving Shaquille O'Neal and reading everything he could about the great big men throughout NBA history — likely because he was still tall enough, at least relative to his peers, to play center — he's continued to love learning about and exploring the historical and story-based sides of the basketball archives. As for Arsenal, Joe spent a year living in London and latched onto the local support of the club. He's barely missed a match since, loving Arsene Wenger, enduring the Banter Era, and following along through rebuilds. The Premier League interest developed into a passionate following of the Champions League, Europe's big five league, and international soccer as a whole when played at the highest level. Regardless of the sport, Joe is captivated by the stories of athletes beyond the box scores and how they push the envelope — both in terms of what we think a human is capable of accomplishing and how they find new competitive tactics to win.
Get to know Joe Kozlowski betterPublished10 Feb 2020
There’s nothing that sports fans love more than a good debate, especially over the greatest player of all-time. In the NBA, the leading two candidates are LeBron James and Michael Jordan. Whether you prefer King James or His Airness, there are plenty of pros and cons on either side of the aisle.
Michael Jordan himself, however, recently weighed in on the great debate. Could he have finally settled things once and for all?
LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan for the greatest of all-time
No matter which player you think is better, there’s one thing all basketball fans can agree on: both LeBron James and Michael Jordan are some of the greatest to ever pick up a basketball.
James, of course, burst onto the national scene during high school and has only continued to improve. While the forward is an elite scorer—his career total sits third all-time, ahead of Jordan—he’s far from one dimensional; King James is also a skilled passer and rebounder. LeBron is also capable of lifting any team into title contention.
On the other side of the debate, Michael Jordan needs no introduction. After infamously failing to make his high school varsity team, MJ never looked back. He won a National Championship at the University of North Carolina before moving on to the NBA; while he had some issues getting past the Detroit Pistons, His Airness and the Bulls grew into an unstoppable force. While his stats and accomplishments speak for themselves, Jordan became a cultural force. From slam dunks to sneakers, so much of modern basketball stems from him.
Michael Jordan weighs in on the debate
It’s the natural tendency of sports fans to debate the greatness of their favorite players. Michael Jordan, however, recently provided his own perspective on the comparisons between himself and LeBron James.
“We play in different eras,” Jordan said at an NBA press conference in Paris, France. “He’s an unbelievable player. He’s one of the best players in the world, if not the best player in the world. I know it’s a natural tendency to compare eras to eras, and it’s going to continue to happen. I’m a fan of his, I love watching him play.”
“I think he’s made his mark,” His Airness continued. “But when you start the comparisons, I think it is what it is. It’s just a stand-up measurement. I take it with a grain of salt. He is a heck of a basketball player without a doubt.”
It might not be the most exciting, but MJ made a good point about comparisons with LeBron James
While Michael Jordan’s response might not have been the most exciting comment he’s ever uttered, His Airness does have a point. Like it or not, it’s never easy to compare across eras; even with statistical adjustments, debates over historical greatness will never go away.
Jordan’s comments also allude to another topic: appreciating greatness. No matter your fandom or favorite players, sometimes you just have to stand up and applaud. Guys like LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo will eventually go down as historical great; it would be a shape to overlook their current performances due to debates over their all-time standing.
As a fan, the Michael Jordan-LeBron James debate can be a great deal of fun. Those arguments, though, shouldn’t become the main event and overshadow what’s happening on the court. Appreciate the greatness of what’s happening right now; there will be time for (imperfect) historical comparisons later.
