LeBron James Is Better Than Michael Jordan
Best Games Ever
NBA Regular Season
Michael Jordan had 69 points, 18 rebounds, six assists, four steals and a block on March 28, 1990. The Chicago Bulls were becoming elite and the Cleveland Cavaliers were losing strength in the same conference and division.
Jordan finished 23-of-27 from the field and 21-for-23 from the line.
In an ironic way, LeBron dropped 61 points, seven rebounds and five assists against the Jordan-owned Charlotte Bobcats. He was 22-for-33 from the field, 8-of-10 from the three and 9-for-12 from the stripe.
NBA Playoffs
In 1986, Michael Jordan dropped 63 in the Garden in a Game 2 double-overtime thriller in the Eastern Conference’s first round. He dropped 23 on Hall of Famer Dennis Johnson alone.
He did it in spectacular fashion, mostly off the dribble, though he often left his man defensively and it allowed the Boston Celtics to remain in the game despite his offensive performance.
In the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals, this Game 6 double-overtime thriller showed us a glimpse of extreme dominance from a young LeBron as he had 48 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals. In this game, he scored the last 25 Cleveland points.
NBA Finals
The “Flu Game” is Jordan’s iconic moment of rising above circumstance to win in the NBA Finals. Collapsing to the floor in fatigue in this Game 5 win in 1997, Jordan totaled 38 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block.
The symbolism here is while he carried his Chicago’s Bulls team to Game 6 and their eventual victory, they carried him to the locker room.
LeBron’s picture perfect moment came in Game 6 of the 2016 NBA Finals as he dazzled offensively and defensively on his way to 41 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, four steals and three blocks.
He played with a vengeance befitting of a man who established himself as the world’s best player from every area of the floor.
Talk about off-the-dribble scoring and mid-range shooting; LeBron had it here, on his way to leading his Cavaliers team to Game 7 and their eventual first-ever NBA championship as a franchise.
He won one after a 52-year title drought left the city waiting for a savior (from any sport) that could deliver one home for them, public criticism for his actions is his series, his year and his career, his legacy.
Attempting a comeback from a 3-1 deficit against a 73-9 record-setting team with a player said to have surpassed him in greatness on the court and importance to the game. This victory couldn’t have been any sweeter for LeBron James, until Game 7 that is.
The Conclusion
If you’re trying to find the edge here, from purely inside the lines, you can’t. Both players are unstoppable when they’re in the zone with their combination of playmaking, defense, and shooting.
They’ve showed equal amounts of clutch and killer instinct when the moment is big. Jordan did it more consistently and LeBron did it just as well.
Next: Cultural Impact