Lebron or Michael Jordan?

Lebron James and Michael Jordan have seemingly been linked together ever since Lebron was picked 1st overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA Draft. Since then, he has broken and set records, blazing his way to three championships and sparking a debate over who truly is the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) in NBA history.

LeBron James and Michael Jordan. Two of the most iconic names in NBA history have been linked together ever since James was taken with the #1 overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. Since then, James has dominated the league, winning four MVP awards, three championships with two franchises, and has climbed up the record books at a torrid pace. As James enters the later stages of his career, fans and the media have been comparing James’ career so far to Jordan’s, as Jordan also dominated the NBA throughout his legendary career. James has played multiple positions throughout his career, while Jordan was mostly a shooting guard during his playing days. James’ ability to freely move around the floor gives him a great advantage over opposing teams, as he can slide from playing point guard to shooting guard, to small forward over the course of a few minutes. James is able to guard each position on defense, able to freely roam around on the floor and defend each of his opponents. Even the biggest of James’ detractors acknowledge that his ability to guard each position on defense is uncanny, and unlike any other big time player of the past 40 years. Jordan was limited in his ability to guard multiple positions, yet his scoring ability is unrivaled in NBA history. Jordan’s otherworldly ability to get to the basket and score through tough traffic was incredible, and only a handful of players come close in NBA history, and James is one of them. However, for all of their differences and similarities, it is unfair to compare LeBron James to Michael Jordan for two reasons. First, both played in much different eras in NBA history. Jordan played in a time when a tougher brand of basketball was played throughout the league, playing notable teams like the Bad Boy Pistons of the late 1980’s, who played a very rough and unrelenting style of basketball. James has played in a much softer NBA, with foul calls becoming abundant throughout games and imbalance striking the NBA in a large way. The landscape of the NBA when Jordan played was much tougher, because there were multiple title contenders year in and year out, while James has only had to contend with about 2-3 teams per year for a championship. The second reason is that James and Jordan play completely different games, with one being a complete player, and the other excelling on only one end of the floor. James is a top defender, and scorer, making his teammates around him better because of his presence and play. Jordan, meanwhile, was a very highly skilled scorer, however his defense was not as strong as his offense. Both James and Jordan will be debated as two of the greatest to ever play for generations, however many factors have to be considered before comparing the two. Both played a different brand of basketball, but one fact cannot be disputed: both dominated the NBA during their playing careers, cementing their legacies through their dominance.