TheESPN documentary series "The Last Dance" showed a younger generation of NBA fans that Michael Jordan is much more than a guy who sells retro sneakers. For those who witnessed Jordan's excellence over the course of two three-peats with the Bulls, itreinforced the belief that he is the greatest player to ever touch the court.
A current star has complicated that GOAT (greatest of all time) conversation, of course. There is an argument to be made for putting LeBron James over Jordan, and James' case only grew stronger after hebecame the first player in NBA history to reach 40,000 career points.
The Sporting News' Bill Benderhas a helpful guidewith the most importanttalking points if you're ready to discussMJ vs. LeBron, but we're simply here to provide the facts you need to justify your choice. Don't be the person yelling "six rings" with no backup plan.
Here's a closer look at where the GOAT debate stands...
(All stats current as of April 30, 2024)
Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Regular season stats
On a per-game basis, Jordan is superior in the scoring department, but James grabsrebounds and dishesout assists at a higher rate. While both players are known for tenacious defense on the wing, Jordan finished first in the league in steals three times in his career.James has not yet claimed a steals title.
In terms of longevity, James holds a clear advantage. The gap in total numbers will widen as long as James stays healthy, and he doesn't appear to be slowing down at age 39.
| Jordan | Per Game | LeBron |
| 30.1 | Points | 27.1 |
| 6.2 | Rebounds | 7.5 |
| 5.3 | Assists | 7.4 |
| 2.3 | Steals | 1.5 |
| 0.8 | Blocks | 0.7 |
| 2.7 | Turnovers | 3.5 |
| 38.3 | Minutes | 37.9 |
| 49.7 | Field goal % | 50.6 |
| 32.7 | 3-point % | 34.8 |
| 83.5 | Free throw % | 73.6 |
| Jordan | Totals | LeBron |
| 1,072 | Games | 1,492 |
| 32,292 | Points | 40,474 |
| 6,672 | Rebounds | 11,185 |
| 5,633 | Assists | 11,009 |
| 2,514 | Steals | 2,275 |
| 893 | Blocks | 1,111 |
| 2,924 | Turnovers | 5,211 |
| 41,011 | Minutes | 56,597 |
Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Regular season advanced stats
It's all about which category you choose when it comes to advanced statistics. VORP and Win Shares favor James, but PER and Box Plus/Minus go to Jordan.
Pick a side, nerds! (That's a term of endearment.)
| Jordan | Advanced | LeBron |
| 27.9 | Player Efficiency Rating | 27.1 |
| 116.1 | Value Over Replacement | 151.9 |
| 9.2 | Box Plus/Minus | 8.7 |
| 214.0 | Win Shares | 263.7 |
| 56.9 | True Shooting % | 58.9 |
| 33.3 | Usage % | 31.5 |
Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Playoff stats
The playoff statisticsmirror what Jordan and James produce during the regular season. Despite James' increased usage and efficiency from beyond the arc over the course of his career, it's worth noting that he shoots thesame percentage as Jordan from 3-point range.
Oh, andthe lazy narrative claiming James shrinksin big games — his postseason lines are often more impressive than his regular-season performances. That's not a smart way to argue against him.
| Jordan | Per Game | LeBron |
| 33.4 | Points | 28.4 |
| 6.4 | Rebounds | 9.0 |
| 5.7 | Assists | 7.2 |
| 2.1 | Steals | 1.7 |
| 0.9 | Blocks | 1.0 |
| 3.1 | Turnovers | 3.6 |
| 41.8 | Minutes | 41.3 |
| 48.7 | Field goal % | 49.7 |
| 33.2 | 3-point % | 33.2 |
| 82.8 | Free throw % | 74.1 |
| Jordan | Totals | LeBron |
| 179 | Games | 287 |
| 5,987 | Points | 8,162 |
| 1,152 | Rebounds | 2,583 |
| 1,022 | Assists | 2,067 |
| 376 | Steals | 483 |
| 158 | Blocks | 275 |
| 546 | Turnovers | 1,034 |
| 7,474 | Minutes | 11,858 |
Michael Jordan vs.LeBronJames: Playoff advanced stats
Jordan stands above James in PER, and he is theall-time playoff leader inBox Plus/Minus.But James tops everyone in VORPand Win Shares.
So, yeah, these guys are pretty good.
| Jordan | Advanced | LeBron |
| 28.6 | Player Efficiency Rating | 27.9 |
| 24.7 | Value Over Replacement | 36.1 |
| 11.1 | Box Plus/Minus | 10.0 |
| 39.8 | Win Shares | 58.7 |
| 56.8 | True Shooting % | 58.4 |
| 35.6 | Usage % | 31.7 |
Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Accolades and awards
And here's the big one.Jordan fanshave championships in their back pockets. MJ went a perfect 6-0 in the NBA Finals and never needed a Game 7 to win those series.
James has gone 4-6 in his 10NBA Finals appearances, but he also controlled the Eastern Conference with the Cavaliers and Heat for almost an entire decade.
| Jordan | Accolades | LeBron |
| 6 | Championships | 4 |
| 5 | MVPs | 4 |
| 6 | Finals MVPs | 4 |
| 11 | All-NBA | 19 |
| 9 | All-Defense | 6 |
| 14 | All-Star | 20 |
| 10 | Scoring titles | 1 |
