INSIGHTS
- Based on individual statistics, total number of championships won, accuracy, performance in the clutch, and other indicators, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player in the history of the NBA.
- Michael Jordan has won a total of six NBA Championships, while LeBron James has currently only won three championships.
- Michael Jordan is the most accurate player in the history of the NBA with an accuracy rating of 27.9 percent, although LeBron James is rated second at 27.7 percent.
OVERVIEW
After reviewing key statistics, it has been determined that Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player in the history of the National Basketball Association. However, it is crucial to note that LeBron James is still an active player who has given no indication that he will retire in the foreseeable future, leading many industry experts to speculate that he may eventually eclipse Michael Jordan for this title. Michael Jordan has won twice as many NBA Championships as LeBron James at this time, although it is notable that LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are currently competing in the 2018 NBA Finals. Michael Jordan is considered the greatest basketball player in the clutch in the history of the NBA, although LeBron James is believed to be capable of exceeding Jordan's performance in the future. At this time, Michael Jordan is the most accurate player in the NBA with an accuracy rating of 27.9 percent, while LeBron James is currently rated second for accuracy at 27.7 percent. Below you will find a discussion of our findings.METHODOLOGY
In order to determine which professional basketball player, LeBron James or Michael Jordan, is the greatest player in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA), my colleagues and Ireviewed resources from the NBA, reputable media resources, sports analysts, and industry publications. While a typical Wonder request only utilizes resources published within the preceding 24 months, our findings indicated that many credible discussions of each athlete's performance were made outside this time frame. As this information was historical in nature and has not changed, we have utilized some of these publications because they enriched our understanding of this topic. We first provided historical context for how performance comparisons are made. Some of these considerations are quantitative, such as the total number of games and seasons played. Some considerations are more qualitative in nature. For example, many industry experts and reputable sports commentators have argued that Michael Jordan played in a more physically grueling era of basketball than LeBron James, rendering his career achievements more remarkable.
We then determined key metrics that are relevant to evaluating the career performance of each athlete by reviewing the most frequently published and discussed statistics in credible industry publications. These statistics include offensive metrics and defensive metrics in both regular seasons and playoff games. It is noted that while there are a virtually limitless number of statistics available on performance, we have selected the indicators most frequently used by industry insiders and sports leagues in order to keep this project in scope. We also evaluated clutch time statistics, as performance during close games is consistently rated as a critical consideration in the available literature. We also considered individual awards won by each player, and team awards, such NBA championships. Based on these findings, our analysis of the greatest basketball player in the history of the sport is outlined below.
CAREER CONTEXT
Michael Jordan was active in the NBA from 1984 to 1998. He was the third player drafted in the first round of the 1984 NBA Draft. He retired from the league but returned to play from 2001 to 2003. Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls for 12 years, but he spent his final two years in the NBA as a member of the Washington Wizards, which he co-owned. At the conclusion of his career, Michael Jordan had played in 1,072 regular season games in the NBA for a total of 15 seasons. There is widespread agreement among sports commentator that "the game has changed, and that it is always difficult to compare eras in any sport." However, many current comparisons of Jordan and James are often dominated by a discussion of Michael Jordan's career occurring during an era in which basketball was perceived as a "tougher" sport, due to league changes associated with hand-checking and zone defense. While a complete discussion of these changes and their alleged impact on basketball players is beyond the scope of this request, it is important to note that many of Michael Jordan's achievements are evaluated favorably in this context by basketball experts.
LeBron James was the first player selected in the 2003 NBA Draft, where he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers directly from high school. He was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2003 to 2010. He joined the Miami Heat in 2010, but returned to the Cavaliers in 2014. He remains a member of the Cavaliers at the present time. To date, he has played a total of 1,143 regular season games in 15 seasons in the NBA. He was a starting player in 1,142 games. It is crucial to note in any comparison of LeBron James and Michael Jordan that there is no indication James intends to retire from the sport in the foreseeable future. As a result, he will likely continue honing his talents and earning significant achievements in this sport. Additionally, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are currently contenders in the 2018 NBA Finals and could potentially win the 2018 NBA Championship. In this context, a discussion of LeBron James's talents often occurs when considering that he has the potential to eclipse Michael Jordan's success due to his greater longevity in the sport.
REGULAR SEASON STATISTICS
In the course of regular season play during his career, Michael Jordan can be evaluated based on the following key statistics, which are reported as averages:
Total Games Played: 1,072
Total Games Played as a Starter: 1,039
Points Per Game: 30.1
Minutes Per Game: 38.3
Number of Field Goals Made: 11.4
Number of Field Goals Attempted: 22.9
Percentage of Field Goals Made: 49.7
Three-Point Field Goals Made: 0.5
Three-Point Field Goals Attempted: 1.7
Percentage of Three-Point Field Goals Made: 32.7
Number of Free Throws Made: 6.8
Number Free Throws Attempted: 8.2
Percentage Free Throws Made: 83.5
Offensive Rebounds: 1.6
Defensive Rebounds: 4.7
Rebounds: 6.2
Assists: 5.3
Steals: 2.3
Blocks: 0.8
Turnovers: 2.7
Personal Fouls: 2.6
In the course of regular season play during his career (to date), LeBron James can be evaluated on the following key statistics, which are reported as averages:
Total Games Played: 1,143
Total Games Played as a Starter: 1,142
Points Per Game: 27.5
Minutes Per Game: 38.8
Number of Field Goals Made: 9.9
Number of Field Goals Attempted: 19.6
Percentage of Field Goals Made: 50.4
Three-Point Field Goals Made: 1.4
Three-Point Field Goals Attempted: 4.1
Percentage of Three-Point Field Goals Made: 34.4
Number of Free Throws Made: 6.0
Number Free Throws Attempted: 8.1
Percentage Free Throws Made: 73.9
Offensive Rebounds: 1.2
Defensive Rebounds: 6.1
Rebounds: 7.4
Assists: 7.2
Steals: 1.6
Blocks: 0.8
Turnovers: 3.5
Personal Fouls: 1.8
In comparing these figures, we can draw some general conclusions. While LeBron James played for a slightly longer amount of time, Michael Jordan scored more points per game on average. Both players are closely matched for accuracy at field goals and three-point field goals, although Jordan is 83.5 percent accurate at free throws. This rate is compared to James's average accuracy of 73.9 percent. However, James successfully made a higher number of goals. While Michael Jordan had fewer turnovers, he also committed a higher rate of personal fouls. LeBron James had a high rate of both assists and steals, while both players averaged the same number of blocks.
PLAYOFF STATISTICS
In the course of playoffs during his career, Michael Jordan can be evaluated based on the following key statistics, which are reported as averages:
Total Games Played: 179
Total Games Played as a Starter: 179
Points Per Game: 33.4
Minutes Per Game: 41.8
Number of Field Goals Made: 12.2
Number of Field Goals Attempted: 25.1
Percentage of Field Goals Made: 48.7
Three-Point Field Goals Made: 0.8
Three-Point Field Goals Attempted: 2.5
Percentage of Three-Point Field Goals Made: 33.2
Number of Free Throws Made: 8.2
Number of Free Throws Attempted: 9.9
Percentage of Field Goals Made: 82.8
Offensive Rebounds: 1.7
Defensive Rebounds: 4.7
Rebounds: 6.4
Assists: 5.7
Steals: 2.1
Blocks: 0.9
Turnovers: 3.1
Personal Fouls: 3.0
In the course of playoffs during his career (to date), LeBron James can be evaluated based on the following key statistics, which are reported as averages:
Total Games Played: 235
Total Games Played as a Starter: 235
Points Per Game: 28.8
Minutes Per Game: 42.0
Number of Field Goals Made: 10.2
Number of Field Goals Attempted: 20.9
Percentage of Field Goals Made: 49.0
Three-Point Field Goals Made: 1.5
Three-Point Field Goals Attempted: 4.7
Percentage of Three-Point Field Goals Made: 33.2
Number of Free Throws Made: 6.8
Number of Free Throws Attempted: 9.2
Percentage of Free Throws Attempted: 74.1
Offensive Rebounds: 1.5
Defensive Rebounds: 7.4
Rebounds: 8.9
Assists: 7.0
Steals: 1.8
Blocks: 1.0
Turnovers: 3.6
Personal Fouls: 2.4
In comparing these figures, we can draw some general conclusions about playoff statistics. While LeBron James played for a slightly longer amount of time, Michael Jordan scored more points per game on average. Both players are closely matched for accuracy at field goals and three-point field goals, although Jordan is 82.8 percent accurate at free throws. This rate is compared to James's average accuracy of 74.1 percent. While Michael Jordan had fewer turnovers, he also committed a higher rate of personal fouls. LeBron James had a higher rate of assists and a lower rate of steals. Both players averaged approximately the same number of blocks.
CLUTCH TIME STATISTICS
Clutch time statistics are defined as occurring "during the 4th quarter or overtime, with less than five minutes remaining, and neither team ahead by more than five points." In the regular season to date, LeBron James led all players in the NBA. He scored an average of 4.4 points in the clutch per game, successfully making 55.4 percent of goals from the field. We are currently unable to calculate his postseason success rate, due to the Cleveland Cavaliers being in the 2018 NBA Finals at this time. Over the course of his career, Michael Jordan attempted 18 clutch shots in the postseason and successfully made nine of them, which is a 50 percent success rate. While no player has enjoyed more success in the clutch in the postseason than Michael Jordan to date, LeBron James is considered a leading contender to eventually eclipse Michael Jordan's success in the clutch in the postseason.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS WON
NBA Player of the Month (16 times)
All-NBA (11 times)
NBA Player of the Week (25 times)
NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (six times)
NBA Sporting News Rookie of the Year (once)
NBA Sporting News Most Valuable Player of the Year (seven times)
NBA Rookie of the Year (once)
Hall of Fame Inductee (once)
NBA Rookie of the Month (three times)
NBA Most Valuable Player (five times)
NBA Defensive Player of the Year (once)
Olympic Gold Medal (twice)
NBA All-Star Most Valuable Player (three times)
NBA Player of the Week (56 times)
Olympic Bronze Medal (once)
NBA Player of the Month (33 times)
NBA Most Valuable Player (four times)
NBA Rookie of the Month (six times)
All-NBA (13 times)
Olympic Gold Medal (twice)
NBA All-Star Most Valuable Player (twice)
NBA Rookie of the Year (once)
NBA Sporting News Rookie of the Year (once)
NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (three times)
NBA Sporting News Most Valuable Player of the Year (once)
CHAMPIONSHIPS WON
During his career, Michael Jordan won a total of six NBA championships in 15 seasons, compared to only three championships for LeBron James in the same period of time. Michael Jordan's team won the championship each year by the sixth game, with no seventh game being required. This is often considered one of the most important statistics when comparing the careers of both athletes.
However, as previously mentioned, LeBron James is currently a contender in the 2018 NBA Finals, so the total number of championships won may increase this year. Additionally, it is notable that Lebron James has competed in a total of eight championship games, compared to six for Michael Jordan. LeBron James has also competed in the NBA Championship every year since 2011.
ALTERNATIVE METRICS
The discussion of which athlete is the greatest basketball player of all time is subject to consideration of any number of alternative metrics, which we were unfortunately unable to address within the scope of a typical Wonder request. For reference, we have included three additional unique statistics as evidence of the popular media's obsession with crowning the greatest basketball player of all time. First, in 1996, Michael Jordan starred alongside Bugs Bunny in the highest-grossing basketball film in history, "Space Jam," The movie eventually earned $230 million globally, and the official "Space Jam" website remains active, 22 years later. While LeBron James has enjoyed some success in film and television, none of his current acting credits has resulted in similar financial success. Second, while both LeBron James and Michael Jordan have earned substantial income from endorsements, Jordan remains the highest paid "sneaker endorser" in the league, earning $110 million from Nike shoe endorsements in 2017. In contrast, James earned $32 million. Additionally, there has been some discussion that Michael Jordan outranks LeBron James in the number of spiders crushed during professional basketball games. It appears that Jordan stepped on 14 spiders during his career, compared to only 12 spiders crushed by LeBron James.
CONCLUSION: THE GREATEST PLAYER OF ALL TIME
In summary, Michael Jordan has won twice as many NBA Championships as LeBron James at this time. Jordan is considered the greatest basketball player in the clutch in the history of the NBA, although it is noted that LeBron James is believed to be capable of exceeding Jordan's performance in the future. At this time, Michael Jordan is the most accurate player in the NBA with an accuracy rating of 27.9 percent, although LeBron James is rated second at 27.7 percent. While Michael Jordan scores more point, LeBron James is more skilled at rebounds and passing. While our findings lead us to conclude that Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player in the history of the NBA, it is cautioned that LeBron James has not yet concluded his career and may yet eclipse him. Additionally, as one commentator noted: "we should just agree: both are extremely good at basketball."