Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James
One of the most common arguments in basketball today is that LeBron James will soon exceed or has already exceeded Michael Jordan’s skill and legacy. However, this is simply not true. The believers in this argument don’t look at the statistics for the two players because if they did, they would be proven wrong instantly.
Over his career Michael Jordan compiled over 10,000 more points than LeBron did. But, the supporters of LeBron don’t look at this statistic because it doesn’t help them. But points in a career isn’t the only aspect where Michael dominates LeBron. MJ made about 58% of all of his shots, which is out of this world for his position, a shooting guard. While on the other hand, LeBron only shoots 49% which may be slightly above average, but is definitely not at the level of MJ’s.
However, numbers aren’t everything. There is a piece of data which is not recorded: legacy, or impact on the game. While LeBron has made a rather large impact, he doesn’t come close to what MJ did in his career. Even today, over ten years since he retired, kids still say “I wanna be like Mike.” They don’t say “I wanna be like LeBron.” Michael Jordan was the pinnacle of success. An icon known worldwide. LeBron may be popular, but he’s not MJ.
Another area where MJ beats LeBron is product endorsement. The Jordan shoe brand is one of the most widely know and bought shoe brand in the world. Their basketball shoes are the uppest of the up. While LeBron’s partnership with Nike has done amazingly for him and Nike, they have nothing that could be worth more than an original Air Jordan.
Speaking of impact, there is one more dimension where MJ has the edge. Beauty. As Earvin “Magic” Johnson once said, “He made you want to fly,” in regards to MJ. No one has said LeBron made them want to fly. MJ had a certain grace to his shots that LeBron simply does not posses.
While LeBron has had an amazing career, it is simply too early to say he will ever exceed MJ’s skill and legacy, if he will exceed it. Michael Jordan is, and always will be, the greatest.