How Michael Jordan And LeBron James Compare Through 1,072 Regular Season Games
It's an inarguable fact that both Michael Jordan and LeBron James are two of the greatest basketball players to ever step on the hardwood.
No matter your feelings on either player, there's no doubt that Jordan is the GOAT, and LeBron is hot on his tail for the title of greatest of all-time.
Every basketball fan likes to compare the two legends in every aspect of their games, from pure scoring, to defense, to team success, and more often than not, Jordan gets the upper edge in almost every category, even if the two have had entirely different careers.
Many like to discredit James for his achievements in the NBA because LeBron skipped college, unlike Jordan, so has had more time in the association and record more total stats. But a Reddit user going by the username tony_delk may have laid that argument to rest once and for all.
MJ played in 1,072 regular season games throughout his entire career, spanning from 1984 to 2003, and just as luck would have it, LeBron James is playing in his 1,072nd regular season game tomorrow night against the Milwaukee Bucks. tony_delk has gone through the career stats for both players, and compared their totals as of right now, when both legends have played the exact same amount of games -- minus one for LeBron -- and the stats are mighty close.
Record:
James: 715 - 356
Jordan: 706 - 366
Points:
James: 29,075
Jordan: 32,292
Rebounds:
James: 7,780
Jordan: 6,672
Assists:
James: 7,552
Jordan: 5,633
Blocks:
James: 830
Jordan: 893
Steals:
James: 1,762
Jordan: 2,514
Turnovers:
James: 3,664
Jordan: 2,924
Three-Pointers Made:
James: 1,481
Jordan: 581
Field Goal Percentage:
James: .502
Jordan: .497
Three-Point Percentage:
James: .342
Jordan: .327
Free Throw Percentage:
James: .740
Jordan: .835
Player Efficiency Rating:
James: 27.7
Jordan: 27.9
Double-Doubles:
James: 366
Jordan: 200
Triple-Doubles:
James: 56
Jordan: 28
Do these stats change your opinion on either player, or do they just confirm what you already knew?
Whatever the answer, LeBron James still has a few years left in the league, and will no doubt increase all of his stat totals along the way.