LeBron James Is Better Than Michael Jordan

Skill Comparison

Both are equally clutch players.

Though we like to remember LeBron’s failures and remember Jordan’s successes, LeBron has just as many postseason buzzer beaters as Jordan with three, has hit 6-of-10 “go-ahead” shots in the playoffs (shots with five seconds left on shot clock) while Jordan went 5-for-11.

Killer instinct is a term that is overvalued at times because the killer instinct can often lead to bad basketball. However, Jordan had a constant and maniacal killer instinct.

LeBron’s is only activated in dire straits now, like when you’re cornering a predator and he sees no way out except through you type of dire. Yet, when LeBron does feel that thirst for war and you literally see it on your face, you might as well count yourself as part of the death toll.

The pressure of the moment has less to do with a clutch drive and killer instinct than you think.

It’s sometimes just that the expectations for you to succeed are so high that they’re unreasonable perhaps but also perhaps attainable and it takes a different type of mental strength to deliver in these stakes. Jordan’s pressure to succeed was incredibly high after his success started.

James’ who career has been pressure to be the best player, better than Jordan, bring a championship-starved city their first championship, vindicating free agency decisions and recently avoiding a 2-5 NBA Finals record that would have destroyed his legacy and besting the most recent challenger for his throne as best player in the game.

Both were incredible finishers on the drive but both LeBron’s Herculean physique and track star speed made him much harder to stop on the drive than the lithe and superb athlete Jordan. LeBron’s tendency to kick out to shooters is not really one of Jordan’s in the same situation.

LeBron was just as able to use finesse around the rim as Jordan, and they are two of the best finishers ever. LeBron however was more lethal in transition and for lobs, but also just more likely to deliver rim-rocking dunks in general in the halfcourt.

Only recently has LeBron focused on his post game and he uses moves from Kobe Bryant, who got them from Jordan, but he also has a couple of his own that make him a better overall low-post scorer than Jordan though the latter had the much better post fadeaway shot.

LeBron also is a dangerous passer from the post, like Magic Johnson-level dangerous.

From the midrange, Jordan takes the cake hands down and it really can be considered that the midrange was his sweet spot as he used his strength, quickness, and skill to get space for the pull-up shot.

The Shot against Craig Ehlo is a shining example of Jordan’s shooting form and potency from the midrange. LeBron doesn’t possess a picturesque shot and potentially only was dangerous from that area in his Miami days which is part of what made him so unstoppable.

Teams often dare him to shoot that shot more than the three and in his first two NBA Finals his inability to be dangerous from there failed him.

Believe it or not, it’s really not close from deep as LeBron is the far superior shooter from behind the line. However, Jordan took more threes in the Finals than at any other point in his career and shot better as well.

The opposite is true for LeBron now who recently plays in the post more during the playoffs and now makes the defense pay for giving him space to shoot by running full-speed towards the rim with a crossover dribble and an extra-explosive first step.

Through that empty land of air and opportunity LeBron flies towards rim, only to take a contested three that he’ll make the next time down to frustrate the defense.

Jordan was a great passer with a high situational basketball IQ and his playmaking shouldn’t be overlooked. Yet we all know who is the better passer, with the higher basketball IQ, and who is the better playmaker.

In addition, Jordan made plays from his position, which is great, but LeBron made plays as a point-forward. There are a lot of players that possess these abilities actually.

What separates LeBron is his ability to be Peyton Manning on the hardwood; he will literally set up the entire play from start to finish to get the best mismatch and best play for anybody to score, not just him.

On defense, he was the middle linebacker directing the big men’s defense around him but also the free safety directing the backcourt as they went for ball-hawking steals.

Lastly, while Jordan could arguably play two positions very well offensively and guard the entire backcourt, LeBron arguably plays all positions well offensively and defensively as he’ll set up your offense then make plays from any position, score from anywhere against any player, guard your best player at any position, and still be the ultimate rim-protector at center.

The Conclusion

Jordan had the first memorable killer instinct in the modern NBA, was a versatile defender, elite scorer, a midrange savant and with the post fadeaway, and a great playmaker and finisher.

LeBron was just as clutch but not always going for the jugular, plays 1-5 at an elite level on both offense and defense and better than Jordan whose playoff per 100 was 118 offense and 104 defense to 115 offense and 101 defense for the LeBron, though Jordan’s teammates were a better defensive bunch year-by-year than LeBron’s have been and he averaged six more total points that only reflect as three points higher per 100.

This is likely because LeBron is a far superior playmaker and floor general because he has the higher basketball IQ and passing ability.

LeBron is also an elite scorer and finisher but not a midrange savant in the same way Jordan wasn’t usually great from deep, though Jordan was better in the midrange than LeBron is from three.

In the playoffs, they both had to turn the switch to compensate for their weakest strengths and hit from areas they didn’t normally hit from. Pretty much, the idea that LeBron isn’t as great a scorer as Jordan is moot.

Jordan was just amazing from mid-range when LeBron is not. LeBron compensates for those points though by being the better playmaker for his teammates and is not a better shooter from any area from the floor than Jordan, but is a better three-point shooter usually and always is a better and more versatile defender.

If Scottie Pippen could average 27 points per game and had LeBron’s unique behemoth size and athleticism, who would have been the best player on the Chicago Bulls?

Next: Tale Of The Tape