As LeBron James completes his 23rd season in the NBA and begins approaching an end to the longest career of all-time, his status as the greatest player of all time remains one that continues to be challenged by the legacy of Michael Jordan, despite James’s immense accomplishments.
Before one can truly decide on James’ status as the greatest basketball player in history, the definition of greatness must first be defined under some set of factors. In sports, greatness can often be described as sustained, untouchable dominance in their area.
“What I think defines the best player of all time is probably the consistency of how they’re playing for however many years,” said junior Ethan Smith. “James’ played in the NBA longer [than anyone] and been very successful at all [stages of his career].”
James exemplifies this definition of greatness to a tee. When it comes to sustained dominance, James’ individual achievements are unmatched: holding the record for most points scored, receiving MVP votes in a record-setting 20 seasons, scoring 10 or more points in his 1,297 straight game that is called “LeStreak,” and recently achieving the most wins ever last month. James has also effectively played more high-level basketball than any player ever, holding records for the most seasons played, most minutes played and most all-star appearances.
Whereas other all-time great scorers, like Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Karl Malone and Michael Jordan, made it to the top due to their assists to other star players, James scores and simultaneously acts as the superstar playmaker for his teams, ranking number four in all-time assists.
“James also brings up his teammates,” said senior Keith Matye. “He’s more of a team-first player. Obviously he’s the all-time leading scorer [so] he can score whenever he wants. But he’s got elite court vision. His basketball IQ is through the roof.”
Although Jordan may have the famed six championships and undefeated finals record, his career is marked by years and years of failure before and after the stars aligned for six fleeting years of glory. It took Jordan seven years to make his first finals appearance, while James was already bringing a team without any co-all-stars to the finals by his fourth season in the league. Though Jordan may have his undefeated finals record, it comes at the caveat of only making the finals six times and with one team. James made the finals ten times across three separate teams, going to back-to-back finals for eight years while changing teams in the middle. Although James didn’t win every series, his ability to take weak teams to the finals is something never reflected in Jordan’s legacy.
“[Jordan] won the finals six years, [but] those weren’t even in a row, and he was carried,” said senior Charles Wilcox. “He was hard-carried by some of the greatest basketball players ever like Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr and Scottie Pippen. James made the finals consecutively for so many years with bums on his team … I don’t even know who was on his team because that’s how sorry some of those teams were.”
Jordan didn’t make a single finals run without his incredibly talented, hall of fame forward Scottie Pippen by his side. In fact, when Jordan left the Bulls to pursue a career in baseball, his Bulls teammates managed to secure a record of 55-27 — only two wins fewer than with him the previous year — and make a playoff run into the Conference Semifinals. Meanwhile, both times James left the Cavaliers — teams he had previously taken to the finals — their team plummeted to a record of 19-63. James’ teams have relied upon him far more than Jordan’s Bulls, which was the only team where Jordan found any success.
“He’s a real game changer and you could see that on multiple teams,” Matye said. “He’s won with the Lakers. He won with Miami. He won with Cleveland. Obviously some teams are better than others, but Jordan just didn’t have that longevity. He did all of [his winning with] the Bulls. The Bulls had [all-time legend] Scottie Pippen … When James won, he had nobody around. Kevin Love was [often] the second option [in his finals runs]. That’s not great. James really carried a team of ‘nobodies’ until the finals and won, and I think that really shows the type of player he is.”
While some push back on James for his weaker win percentage in the finals, Jordan’s finals competition simply pales in comparison to James’. Besides his one victory against Magic Johnson, Jordan’s competition doesn’t consist of any players in ESPN’s top 20 of all time, with his hardest competition being Charles Barkley’s Suns, Karl Malone’s Jazz and Gary Payton’s Supersonics. James, on the other hand, faced superteams — Tim Duncan’s Spurs, Kevin Durant’s Thunder and Stephen Curry’s Warriors. In fact, in order to become a hometown hero in Cleveland, James had to take down the 73-9 Warriors, the very team that surpassed Jordan’s Bulls as the winningest team of all time.
“James beat the 2016 Warriors when they were down 1-3,” Wilcox said. “Michael Jordan has never played a team as complete as that Warriors team.”
Though the GOAT debate in the NBA will likely remain an unending argument comparing Jordan’s finals supremacy and James’ incredible longevity, James sustained his dominance over a far greater period, scored while being a playmaker, led far weaker teams than Jordan and faced far tougher competition in the finals, forming his case as the greatest basketball player of all time.
