Entering his 23rd year, No. 23 for the Los Angeles Lakers, forward LeBron James is one of two players in the modern-day debate of the greatest basketball player of all time.
It’s between him and former Los Angeles Lakers guard Michael Jordan.
To be the greatest of all time, you have to be held to the highest standard imaginable. And that’s where James and Jordan differ. Jordan’s career is stuff of legend, but because of his mythos, he isn’t held to that same standard James is.
James is constantly scrutinized, criticized and blamed for when things don’t work out, and that’s exactly the type of standard you set for the greatest to ever do it.
The Akron, Ohio native is often criticized for playing with elite teammates throughout the course of his career, guard Dwayne Wade, forward Chris Bosh, guard Kyrie Irving, forward Anthony Davis and now guard Luka Doncic.
But Jordan had stability throughout his entire dynasty run in the 90s, headlined by co-star Scottie Pippen with other valuable players to fill out important roles on the team.
Forward Dennis Rodman, guard Steve Kerr and center Bill Cartwright are just some of the players that helped to make life easier for Jordan, and don’t forget the 11 time NBA champion head coach Phil Jackson.
Once Jordan was able to get past the Boston Celtics and the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons in the late 80s, it was smooth sailing from that point on. Don’t get it twisted, Jordan was an ice-cold killer on the court who struck fear in the hearts of his opponents. But the Bulls were set up for success during his first retirement in 1993. Chicago won 55 games that season without Jordan, just two less than the previous year when Jordan was on the team.
When James left the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010, they went into a complete freefall, going from a 61-win team to winning just 19 games and securing the first overall pick in the 2011 draft.
In both three-peats, Jordan had a system and players around him to get the job done, which allowed Air Jordan to show off his greatness on the world’s brightest stage.
James, on the other hand, is the system. The King has been utilized in many different ways throughout his career it’s sometimes hard to keep track of. He’s played at least one NBA game at every single position, point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward and center while also playing point guard during the Lakers 2020 championship run.
The big talking point people like to use in the Jordan vs. LeBron debate is championships. Jordan has a perfect 6-0 finals record while James has a record of 4-6.
While 6-0 beats 4-6, and that math does check out, there’s someone important to this debate who disagrees with that logic: Jordan himself.
In a 2020 interview with Cigar Aficionado, Jordan contested the idea that championships are the be-all end-all when it comes to GOAT status.
“I won six championships, Bill Russell won 11,” Jordan said. “Does that make him better than me or me better than him? No, because we played in different eras. So when you try to equate who’s the greatest of all time, it’s an unfair parallel.”
When you actually think about it, James’ 4-6 finals record isn’t as bad as people make it out to be.
Would it have been better for James to go out in the conference finals six times so his finals record would be 4-0? No, it makes zero sense. Players are scrutinized more for losing in the finals than losing in earlier rounds in the playoffs. Make it make sense.
As the clock continues to turn and James continues his battle with Father Time, his case for the GOAT title over Jordan grows.
Going straight from high school to the NBA, James was bestowed the title of “The Chosen One” at 18 years of age. The prospect had so many expectations around him that he would be deemed a disappointment if he only managed to become a great player rather than an all-time legend.
But somehow, James defied those expectations and became the greatest.
James began his NBA career with the Cavaliers, his hometown team who drafted him number one overall in 2003. The Cavs had virtually no success before James stepped into their arena, and the Chosen One lifted Cleveland into title contenders.
Despite playing with just two All-Stars in his first stint with Cleveland, James dragged a depleted Cavaliers squad to the 2007 NBA finals.
When the King decided to take his talents to South Beach and form a big three with Wade and Bosh, James and the Miami Heat went to four straight NBA finals and took home two Larry O’Brien trophies.
Then in a shocking return, James came home to Cleveland where he promised to end the 50 year championship drought in the city and bring home that coveted finals trophy.
In 2016 James did just that, taking down the powerhouse 73-9 Golden State Warriors and overcoming a 3-1 finals deficit.
After making the finals for nine straight seasons, James reached the mountaintop once again in 2020, this time with the Lakers.
COVID-19 ravaged the NBA and forced contending teams to play inside a bubble system. Isolated from the outside world, James helped the Lakers reach their 18th NBA title in a season that was dedicated to Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who passed away earlier that year.
James famously carried extremely mediocre rosters to the NBA finals, with the prime example being the 2018 Cavaliers. That team faced off against a Warriors team with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Kevin Durant.
There’s also the unprecedented longevity, the Chosen One will turn 41 in December and is still playing at a high level in the NBA. The NBA’s all time leader in points continues to dominate the stats and if he continues to play, he’ll push more all time records out of reach.
So don’t let the “6-0 beats 4-6” crowd fool you, LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of all time.
