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FILE–Michael Jordan and LeBron James embrace after the presentation of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on February 20, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. Jason Miller/Getty Images/AFP
As LeBron James added to his incredible legacy by becoming the NBA’s career scoring leader, the debate continued over whether he or Michael Jordan was the NBA’s greatest player.
Los Angeles Lakers forward James, in his 20th NBA campaign at the age of 38, surpassed fellow legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the league’s all-time scoring crown on Tuesday.
“To be in the company of a dominant force like Kareem, it’s an honor,” James told ESPN before breaking the record.
Retired icon Jordan ranks fifth on the NBA’s all-time points list with 32,292 in 1,072 games for a record average of 30.1 points per game. LeBron is averaging 27.2 assists and leading rebounds.
“Air” Jordan was also a winner and Most Valuable Player in all six of his NBA Finals appearances with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s. He was a five-time season MVP and a 10-time scoring champion.
LeBron has won four titles in 10 NBA Finals appearances, eight in a row from 2011-2018. He was the fourth finals MVP and fourth season MVP and won the only scoring crown in 2008.
Both took home two Olympic gold medals and each starred in the movie “Space Jam”, becoming cultural icons with epic endorsement deals.
Like Jordan, James is a tall, acrobatic, amazing playmaker at a young age who sets up his game to stay dangerous and elevate the level of his teammates.
“We can enjoy one without destroying the other,” the late Kobe Bryant tweeted about the Jordan-James debate in 2018. “Don’t debate what nobody can win for sure.”
Only two players have more trips to the finals than James – Boston legend Bill Russell with a record 12 and 1960s dynasty teammate Sam Jones at 11. James and six-time NBA champion Abdul-Jabbar each reached 10 finals.
LeBron talks shot selection for record-breaking buckets. #ScoringKing
Hear more from him and the Lakers:
📲 https://t.co/enwi9jW91O pic.twitter.com/G1QuJdVZzi— NBA (@NBA) February 8, 2023
“If you’re talking about just a basketball player, a complete basketball player, LeBron James is a better basketball player than Michael Jordan,” former Detroit guard Isiah Thomas told ESPN in 2018.
“What I see is LeBron James … who dominates this time. I haven’t seen anyone else do it in our league, except for two people and that is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell.
While Russell and Abdul-Jabbar are blind who dominate in the paint, Jordan and LeBron are playmakers who can threaten to dominate from anywhere on the court.
Former NBA All-Star guard Gary Payton refuses to choose between superstars from different eras.
“I don’t compare,” he said. “You have two players who dominated their era. Michael won six. So what? Eight straight finals is great.”
NBA legend Dominique Wilkins said that James has the same mentality as Jordan’s ability to turn anything he feels into motivation.
“LeBron has always had the size and agility advantage over players but also the mentality,” Wilkins said. “He said, ‘I can do whatever I want and whenever I want to do it’ throughout his career.
‘Once in a generation’
Former Los Angeles Lakers player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gives the game ball to forward LeBron James (6) after James became the NBA’s all-time scoring leader against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round at Crypto.com Arena. / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs chasing a second Super Bowl crown on Saturday, was raised in the classic Jordan game thanks to his father and gave a divided answer to the Jordan-James debate.
“If I had one game, I would take Michael Jordan or one series,” Mahomes told Fox Sports. “But I would say for a full season, I have to go with LeBron because he can do everything.
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said his fitness has given James the longevity to make history.
“LeBron has taken good care of himself and he’s been able to play a lot of games over the years,” Popovich said. “His commitment to the game and what he has to do has allowed him to be in this position.”
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, a former championship teammate of Jordan’s, says LeBron gets better with age.
“It’s amazing when you have a guy who is already considered one of the best players to ever play the game make so much improvement at the end of his career,” Kerr said.
James is the only player to average a triple-double in the NBA Finals and leads the Finals team in points, assists, rebounds, steals and blocks.
“You have to respect him,” Warriors star Klay Thompson said of James. “It’s an honor to face LeBron. He’s a once-in-a-generation type of player.
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