Lebron james versus michael jordan stats1/15/2024 ![]() ![]() The vast majority of sports fans born years too late to witness Babe Ruth were rewarded with Babe in baggy shorts from the mid-1980s to early 2000s. Which leads to this … The Case For Jordan … Those are the details in the fine print that says LeBron’s career is a fraction shy of perfection, and feel free to ignore that or concede as much. Another title was clinched when Kyrie Irving, not LeBron, dropped the trophy-winning shot in Game 7 of the 2015 Finals. The ball took a fortunate bounce off the rim and into the palms of Miami teammate Chris Bosh, who instinctively threw to Ray Allen and the rest is history. the Warriors).Īlso, in a far lesser vein, one of LeBron’s three titles was secured when he missed a desperate 3-pointer in the clutch with his team facing elimination. His Finals series record is 3-6, although to be fair, his teams weren’t favored in four of those losses (in ’07 vs. They are vitamins to the argument that LeBron wasn’t wired like Jordan when it came to winning and producing in moments of truth. LeBron has two stains on his legacy that can’t be bleached: When he checked out against the Celtics in the 2010 East semifinals, and the 2011 NBA Finals when he never checked in against the Dallas Mavericks. That’s all good … but here are the nit-picks. And the chase-down swat of Andre Iguodala in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals, among others. He’s had signature moments, such as his Game 5 outburst against the Detroit Pistons in the 2007 Eastern Conference finals, deflating the Boston Celtics with 45 points and 15 rebounds down 3-2 in the 2012 East finals. His 2007 Finals team was arguably the weakest finalist ever, as the Cavs’ Finals starters were a combination of Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, Sasha Pavlovic, Daniel Gibson and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. The Cavs were poorly run through much of his time in Cleveland and that actually worked in his favor from an optics standpoint. His ability to lift mediocre teams consistently could be unmatched by anyone. He has been, at times, the best point guard on the floor, the best shooting guard, the best power forward, the best small forward. Not since his rookie season has LeBron failed to lead his team in at least three major statistical categories. He’s the most unselfish scorer in league history, the only player to rank among the top 10 all-time in points and assists. When LeBron sneezes, for example, laptop screens in China need to be wiped clean. Most of his career has taken place in the social media age, which makes the larger-than-life even larger than life and brings the power of persuasion to the masses worldwide. And among other things, this is why LeBron has momentum. Whatever is happening live and immediately leads us to dismiss anything or anyone that happened before ESPN. The Case For LeBron …Īs a society, we tend to be swayed by the moment, by the living and the breathing. discussion, even though each player has made a mark beyond basketball.)īecause the current climate demands it once again, we begin. None of that has a voice in pure basketball matters when it comes to the G.O.A.T. Jordan boasts unprecedented clout as a product pitchman and LeBron has the reach via social justice and good deeds done through youth programs back home in Akron. (Note: There’s no reason to weigh the spin-off benefits of each player. debate and provide clarity and an answer that will, of course, satisfy no one. ![]() It is my job, as your humble referee, to introduce sanity and reason to explain, once and for all, the merits of this touchy G.O.A.T. Doing so took a bit of an ax to the Jordan throne, once believed to be untouchable and impenetrable.īut fret no more. The tug-of-war rope is destined to gain tension once again, now that LeBron has passed Jordan for fourth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. LeBron seems certain to keep us divided as a nation. Each side digs in and no one is suddenly convinced and crosses over to the other side. God created sports bars and water coolers and Skip Bayless for this very reason, to bring the mother of all basketball arguments to the forefront and mash it and mash it and mash it again into a paste without really coming up with a definitive conclusion. ![]()
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