Michael Jordan VS Lebron James

Jordan or LeBron ?

  • Michael Jordan

  • LeBron James


Results are only viewable after voting.

altodevil

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It's much closer than that poll suggests. The level of competition is much higher now than in the 90s.
 

KirkDuyt

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Jordan, because Lebron aint fooling no one with that strangely wide sweat band.

You're bald, we know.
 

Redplane

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It's much closer than that poll suggests. The level of competition is much higher now than in the 90s.
I kind of agree. Jordan was the best of his era. LeBron will go down as the best of his. Both winners. On a cultural and athletic impact level though it's obviously not even close. Jordan is by far the biggest superstar the NBA has ever had.
 

ArseHat

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Jordan is much more than the stats; he transcends the sport. Lebron does also, but not to the extent that MJ did, especially with the way the NBA exploded as he reached his peak in the 90s, off the back of Magic and Bird reviving the sport in the 80s. Many journalists and fans had already started to proclaim MJ as the greatest ever during his first three peat, which only solidified as he pulled off his second.

MJ was just the perfect storm in terms of ability, winning, personality, and cultural impact. He's one of the greatest sporting figures ever as well as one of the most recognizable people/athletes in the world, akin to a Muhammed Ali. Not to mention he is the namesake for one of the most popular and coveted shoe brands in the world. His mentality also sets him apart from nearly everyone. I've never seen a player, in any sport, that competitive, exuding such unshakeable confidence, with that killer mentality. He was relentless. Kobe was built in the same vein, but MJ was just better.

Lebron had his opportunity, but too many failures in the finals, though not all his fault, will work to his detriment. His reputation of popularizing artificially created super teams and shenanigans such as "The Decision," which made a mockery of the sport, hurts his cause as well. He had momentum coming off the back of the 2016 finals upset over the Warriors, but he's gotten destroyed in the following two finals, including being swept in 2018, which pretty much killed his chances. Statswise, Lebron can match up with anyone, but he lacks the ring count and has had some questionable moments in the finals, such as his disappearing act against the Mavs in 2011 and the "Cramp game" in San Antonio, which docks him some points.

Has Steph Curry got any chance of being in this conversation or is he more of a Beckham style once in a generation player with a very specific skill?
Steph will be known for being the greatest shooter in NBA history and revolutionizing the game by pioneering the trend of shooting a high volume of threes which dominates today's game. There's still a bit left to go in his career, but there's almost next to no chance he'll be mentioned alongside the likes of MJ or Lebron in terms of GOAT status. Guys like MJ and Lebron pretty much dominated from their rookie seasons (MJ in particular), whereas Steph had a relatively late start which hurts his cause. His inability to win the FMVP also contributes to his less than stellar playoff reputation (compared to other all time greats), rightly or wrongly.

My uncle will go to his grave believing that MJ got run out the league the first time by Stern because of gambling problems.

He also thinks the Flu game wasn't a flu, but a hangover.
Both aren't unpopular opinions, especially the 2nd one. I think it's widely accepted among basketball aficionados that it wasn't the flu, more likely to be food poisoning or, like you said, a bad hangover. Only reason it's been popularized as the "Flu game" is because Marv Albert reported that MJ had "flu-like symptoms" prior to the game.
 

swooshboy

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Jordan is much more than the stats; he transcends the sport. Lebron does also, but not to the extent that MJ did, especially with the way the NBA exploded as he reached his peak in the 90s, off the back of Magic and Bird reviving the sport in the 80s. Many journalists and fans had already started to proclaim MJ as the greatest ever during his first three peat, which only solidified as he pulled off his second.

MJ was just the perfect storm in terms of ability, winning, personality, and cultural impact. He's one of the greatest sporting figures ever as well as one of the most recognizable people/athletes in the world, akin to a Muhammed Ali. Not to mention he is the namesake for one of the most popular and coveted shoe brands in the world. His mentality also sets him apart from nearly everyone. I've never seen a player, in any sport, that competitive, exuding such unshakeable confidence, with that killer mentality. He was relentless. Kobe was built in the same vein, but MJ was just better.

Lebron had his opportunity, but too many failures in the finals, though not all his fault, will work to his detriment. His reputation of popularizing artificially created super teams and shenanigans such as "The Decision," which made a mockery of the sport, hurts his cause as well. He had momentum coming off the back of the 2016 finals upset over the Warriors, but he's gotten destroyed in the following two finals, including being swept in 2018, which pretty much killed his chances. Statswise, Lebron can match up with anyone, but he lacks the ring count and has had some questionable moments in the finals, such as his disappearing act against the Mavs in 2011 and the "Cramp game" in San Antonio, which docks him some points.


Steph will be known for being the greatest shooter in NBA history and revolutionizing the game by pioneering the trend of shooting a high volume of threes which dominates today's game. There's still a bit left to go in his career, but there's almost next to no chance he'll be mentioned alongside the likes of MJ or Lebron in terms of GOAT status. Guys like MJ and Lebron pretty much dominated from their rookie seasons (MJ in particular), whereas Steph had a relatively late start which hurts his cause. His inability to win the FMVP also contributes to his less than stellar playoff reputation (compared to other all time greats), rightly or wrongly.


Both aren't unpopular opinions, especially the 2nd one. I think it's widely accepted among basketball aficionados that it wasn't the flu, more likely to be food poisoning or, like you said, a bad hangover. Only reason it's been popularized as the "Flu game" is because Marv Albert reported that MJ had "flu-like symptoms" prior to the game.
Fantastic post :)
 

Florida Man

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I kind of agree. Jordan was the best of his era. LeBron will go down as the best of his. Both winners. On a cultural and athletic impact level though it's obviously not even close. Jordan is by far the biggest superstar the NBA has ever had.
These topics have to be included in the discussion of the GOAT. And for that, it is why Jordan is head and shoulders above. Someone mentioned it earlier that he’s probably the most successful and iconic athlete in all sports, not just basketball.
 

elmo

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A better debate would be LeBron vs Kobe... I think that would mirror the spirit this thread was made in. If you think you've seen enough references to "clutch"... wait until that thread is made. My goodness.
Kobe better in terms of techniques, but LeBron overall the better players because he's just so damn gifted physically.
 

11101

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Harder to speak for their on court prowess but for overall influence it's not even close. Jordan put basketball on the map. Lebron, Kobe, Shaq, Abdul-Jabbar, I know the names but most people wouldn't know them if they were stood right in front of you. Everybody knows Michael Jordan.
 

Raees

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Lebron is a basketball great whereas Jordan is a sporting great.. he's in a different stratosphere. He's arguably the most mentally complete sportsman of all time IMO.

Guys like Cristiano and Nadal show shades of Jordan in terms of their dedication to win, but even they have had their moments where someone comes round and makes them feel inferior but MJ was so damn confident and never really broke down and if he did, came back out on top.
 

JPRouve

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Harder to speak for their on court prowess but for overall influence it's not even close. Jordan put basketball on the map. Lebron, Kobe, Shaq, Abdul-Jabbar, I know the names but most people wouldn't know them if they were stood right in front of you. Everybody knows Michael Jordan.
He is my favorite, I love the way he played it was simply elegant.
 

mariachi-19

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Lebron is a basketball great whereas Jordan is a sporting great.. he's in a different stratosphere. He's arguably the most mentally complete sportsman of all time IMO.

Guys like Cristiano and Nadal show shades of Jordan in terms of their dedication to win, but even they have had their moments where someone comes round and makes them feel inferior but MJ was so damn confident and never really broke down and if he did, came back out on top.
I've always felt there is winners and there is winners.

There's a very minute few who fall into the latter. Schumacher, Ferguson, Jordan, Woods etc just to name a few. These are people who just have something inherent about them that no matter what they chose to do with their lives, they would have been successful to a ridiculous standard.
 

Organic Potatoes

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I've always felt there is winners and there is winners.

There's a very minute few who fall into the latter. Schumacher, Ferguson, Jordan, Woods etc just to name a few. These are people who just have something inherent about them that no matter what they chose to do with their lives, they would have been successful to a ridiculous standard.
You know how they turned 'a real MFer' (the full word) into a compliment? As in, that MFer is so insanely competitive they'd sell their soul and take yours to win?

They did that because of Jordan.
 

DOTA

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James is better and those of you arguing for Jordan are very old and fetishising the past.

I've never watched a game of a basketball but it's pretty clear.
 

DOTA

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:lol: The playfully lewd way. I was just going to reply with 'ooh matron" but I wasn't sure if you'd get the refrence.
Fair. Sadly I am old enough to know that Barbara Windsor's tits are an important part of our cultural history.

I wasn't joking about having barely watched any basketball, though, so I'm scarpering before people who have turn up and suggest we're mistaken in thinking that Carry On films are a relevant part of the James/Jordan debate.
 

The Don

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Fair. Sadly I am old enough to know that Barbara Windsor's tits are an important part of our cultural history.

I wasn't joking about having barely watched any basketball, though, so I'm scarpering before people who have turn up and suggest we're mistaken in thinking that Carry On films are a relevant part of the James/Jordan debate.
:lol: You don't post enough.
 

charlton66

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Fair. Sadly I am old enough to know that Barbara Windsor's tits are an important part of our cultural history.

I wasn't joking about having barely watched any basketball, though, so I'm scarpering before people who have turn up and suggest we're mistaken in thinking that Carry On films are a relevant part of the James/Jordan debate.
Sid James was a star. Who is this Jordan bloke?
 

Slevs

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Jordan by a long distance. Lebron would struggle in Jordan's era.
 

Slevs

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Why is that?
Game was extremely more physical.

Every team had a chance of beating you in a playoff series. Today's NBA is mostly about super teams, fast forward to the semi finals of the playoffs and you'd guess around 3/4 of the teams that will play.
 

MJJ

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He was only about 10.
:lol:

Game was extremely more physical.

Every team had a chance of beating you in a playoff series. Today's NBA is mostly about super teams, fast forward to the semi finals of the playoffs and you'd guess around 3/4 of the teams that will play.
I don't know what to say if you think a peak lebron can't handle the physicality.