The discussion between who the better player is between Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan and Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James appears to be a debate that will perpetually rage on for generations to come.
At the end of the day, there is no definitive way to determine who the GOAT really is. It will always come down to a number of factors including, but certainly not limited to perspective, context, and of course, one's personal bias.
Throughout his 15 seasons in the league, Jordan set a number of records that once seemed unbreakable. To this very day, there are still a fair amount of records that MJ holds to his name, but there are also some of them that have been surpassed by LeBron James.
Here are five of them.
5. Career Points
Jordan scored 32,292 career points, which as of this writing, ranks fifth all-time. This is no easy feat considering the myriad of talented scorers we've seen in the history of the NBA.
On March 6, 2019, LeBron overtook Jordan as the new fourth all-time leading scorer, taking MJ's place in the record books. Several weeks prior to breaking Jordan's record, LeBron described what an honor it was for him to have the opportunity to not only be likened to Jordan, but also to be able to surpass him in the all-time scoring list:
“Any time I’m mentioned with one of the greats, if not the greatest that ever played this game, it’s crazy to me,” James said, via the Washington Post. “It really is. [Jordan] is somebody I looked up to and always believed was the greatest. It’s pretty cool. I have no idea how I’ve been able to do it.”
Scoring is one of, if not the most important barometers which determines a player's greatness. In this respect, LeBron has one-upped MJ.
It is worth noting, however, that as a counterargument, Jordan only played 15 seasons in his career, while LeBron is already in season 17 as of the 2019-20 campaign.
4. Playoffs Points
The best of them step up to the plate when it matters most, and when it comes to the level of competition in the NBA playoffs, it is safe to say that it is second to none.
At one point in history, Jordan sat atop of the all-time playoffs scoring list with his 5,987 career points. In 2017, LeBron James surpassed that record during an Eastern Conference Finals matchup against the Boston Celtics.
As of this writing, James still holds the record for most points scored during the playoffs (6,911) — a record that is not likely going to be broken ever. James is the only active player in the Top 10 all-time playoffs scoring list, with Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant at No. 11 with 4,043 career playoff points.
It is worth noting, however, that Jordan set his record in 179 games, while James required 212 appearances to surpass MJ's 5,987-point mark.
3. Most 30-Point Games in the Playoffs
Taking it one step further, we also need to mention that LeBron is currently the all-time leader when it comes to 30-point games in the playoffs.
As of this writing, he has eclipsed the 30-point mark in the postseason 110 times, as opposed to Jordan who dropped at least 30 markers on 109 separate occasions. That's a razor-thin margin in favor of LeBron, but nonetheless, this is another Jordan record he has shattered.
Teams usually raise their defenses a notch higher during the postseason, and especially more so on the star player of the opposing team.
As proven by LeBron and MJ's multiple scoring outbursts in the playoffs, this is not something that really bothers either of them.
2. Points in All-Star Games
There is no brighter spectacle in the NBA than the All-Star Game. This annual contest literally brings together the best talents in the league to face off against each other in an exhibition match.
Who do you ask is the all-time leading scorer in the history of the famed All-Star Game? None other than LeBron James, who currently has 385 points to his name in 16 All-Star Game appearances thus far.
Jordan, who himself made 14 All-Star game appearances in his career, has 262 points — a record that he once held before James surpassed him some time ago.
As a matter of fact, Jordan has now fallen to third on this particular list, with a certain guy named Kobe Bryant also overtaking him with 290 career All-Star game points.
1. Most Consecutive Double-Digit Scoring Games
As they always say, consistency is key. This is exactly what Jordan proved throughout his career, and he has a record 866 consecutive double-digit scoring games to show for it.
That was until March 2018 when LeBron surpassed this mark. The kicker here is that James broke this record against none other than Jordan's own Charlotte Hornets. Talk about irony.
As of this writing, James is still racking up the numbers, as he has yet to see an end to his double-digit scoring streak. Currently, it stands at 959 straight games.
The last time LeBron scored less than 10 points in a game was in January 2007, which was just his fourth season in the league.
He has never looked back since.
Follow Us
Subscribe