The NBA GOAT debate has continued for decades and still continues to this day. At this point, the two NBA players most often brought up in these debates are Michael Jordan and LeBron James. However, given how contentious this debate is, debating this is often fruitless. Without further ado, here is our breakdown of this debate.

NBA GOAT: Michael Jordan’s Case

Michael Jordan’s case for being the greatest NBA player ever is incredibly strong. Jordan won six NBA championships, six Finals MVPs, and five regular season MVP awards while mostly wearing the iconic #23 jersey for the Bulls. Additionally, Jordan made the All-Star Team 14 times and the All-Defensive First Team nine times. These are just a few of his accolades.

One frequent criticism of Michael Jordan is his lack of championships without Scottie Pippen. Without that in mind, let’s dive deeper into Jordan’s early years with the Bulls.

Jordan’s Early Years with the Bulls

The Bulls finished 27-55 in the 1983-84 season. They drafted Michael Jordan with the third overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft. Jordan led the Bulls in scoring in his rookie season, averaging 28.2 points along with 5.9 assists and 6.5 rebounds.

Jordan won Rookie of the Year, unsurprisingly. The Bulls improved to 38-44 and made the 1985 playoffs before losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. In that series, Jordan averaged 29.3 points, 8.5 assists, 2.8 steals, and 5.8 rebounds. The Bucks were the far better team and finished as the second seed in the Eastern Conference that season.

In the 1985-86 season, Jordan broke his foot in the third game of the season and missed 64 games. The Bulls finished 30-52 but made the playoffs anyway as the eighth seed. The Celtics swept the Bulls in the first round and eventually won the title, but Jordan averaged 43.7 points per game in that series. The 1986 Celtics are widely regarded as one of the greatest teams in NBA history, with a prime Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and even an older Bill Walton. Walton was a former All-Star and former MVP who led the Portland Trailblazers to their first and still only NBA championship in 1977.

Michael Jordan made a full recovery from his foot injury prior to the 1986-87 season. Jordan averaged 37.1 points per game on 48.2% shooting in that season, being named an All-Star again and winning his first scoring title.

The Bulls went 40-42 and were swept again by the Celtics in the first round. However, Jordan played well again, averaging 35.7 points per game in the series. The Celtics later made it to the 1987 NBA Finals, losing to the Lakers in six games.

NBA GOAT Jordan Faces the Pistons

Michael Jordan enjoyed another outstanding individual season in the 1987-88 season. He won Defensive Player of the Year, Most Valuable Player, and his second scoring title as he averaged 35 points per game on 53% shooting. Jordan led the Bulls the best defensive team in the regular season.

The Bulls went 50-32 and finally advanced past the first round of the playoffs, beating the Cavaliers in five games in the first round. However, the ‘Bad Boys’ Detroit Pistons eliminated the Bulls in five games in the second round despite Jordan averaging 27.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in the series.

The Pistons made the NBA Finals in that season, narrowly losing to the Lakers in seven games.

Michael Jordan led the Bulls to a 47-35 record in the 1988-89 season as he averaged 32.5 points per game on 53.8% shooting from the field. The Bulls beat the Cavaliers and Knicks en route to the Eastern Conference Finals. Jordan hit an iconic shot in Game 5 of the series against the Cavaliers, with that shot often known as ‘The Shot’.

The Pistons eliminated the Bulls in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals as they implemented their ‘Jordan Rules’. The ‘Jordan Rules’ consisted of playing Jordan extremely physically and throwing double-teams and triple-teams at him any time he touched the basketball.

1989-90 Season

In the following 1989-90 season, Jordan led the league in scoring again with 33.6 points per game. The Bulls went 55-27 and beat the 76ers and Bucks in order to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals once again. However, the Pistons beat the Bulls in seven games, implementing their ‘Jordan Rules’ once more. Despite this, Jordan still managed to average 29.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in that series.

The Pistons later repeated as NBA champions as they beat the Blazers in five games in the 1990 NBA Finals.

Given the strength of the Eastern Conference during these years and Jordan’s playoff averages, it seems difficult to blame him for the Bulls’ failure to win an NBA championship prior to 1991.

How Strong is LeBron James’ Case for NBA GOAT Status?

LeBron James is a four-time NBA champion, four-time NBA Finals MVP, and a 20-time All-Star. Additionally, James has 13 All-NBA First Team selections and five All-Defensive First Team selections. James started off his NBA career by winning Rookie of the Year, as well. His longevity is incredible and he is now the all-time NBA points leader with more than 40,000 points.

People often bring up James’ record in the NBA Finals (4-6) to prop up Michael Jordan as the NBA’s GOAT. This isn’t the strongest argument, however. James first made the NBA Finals in 2007 but the 2007 Spurs were a far stronger team overall, having won two championships in the previous five seasons. The Cavaliers had no answer for Tony Parker in that series, who averaged 24.5 points on 57% shooting.

However, LeBron James did underperform in the 2011 NBA Finals, contributing to the Heat losing the series to the Mavericks in six games. James averaged only 17.8 points per game on 43% shooting. He often struggled when the Mavericks guarded him with smaller defenders, such as Jason Kidd.

Back-to-Back Championships and Finals MVPs

LeBron James rebounded in the 2012 NBA Finals, averaging 28.6 points, 7.4 assists, and 10.2 rebounds as the Heat beat the Thunder in five games to secure the 2012 NBA title. James had a triple-double in Game 5 of the 2012 Finals: 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. In the following season, James led the Heat back to the Finals, where they faced the San Antonio Spurs.

LeBron James averaged 25.3 points, seven assists, and 10.9 rebounds per game in the 2013 NBA Finals. Under his leadership, the Heat defeated the Spurs in a competitive seven-game series, often described as one of the greatest Finals series in NBA history. Naturally, James won Finals MVP once again.

LeBron James’ NBA GOAT Case: Consecutive Finals Losses

James averaged 28.2 points, two steals, four assists, and 7.8 rebounds in the 2014 NBA Finals. The Spurs won the series 4-1, but that was in large part due to Dwyane Wade no longer being at his best following knee injuries. Wade only averaged 15.2 points on 43% shooting in the 2014 Finals. Without Wade at his best, the Heat could not overcome the Spurs who were seeking their revenge.

LeBron James rejoined the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2014 offseason and led them to the 2015 NBA Finals. However, James’ co-star Kevin Love suffered a severe shoulder injury in the first round of the 2015 playoffs and James’ other co-star Kyrie Irving suffered a knee injury that needed surgery. As a result, James had to face the Golden State Warriors alone.

He still averaged 35 points, eight assists, and 13 rebounds per game in the 2015 Finals. He pushed the series to six games despite the absences of Love and Irving. It’d be harsh to blame James for the Cavaliers losing the 2015 Finals, given the circumstances of that series.

NBA GOAT Case: LeBron James Leads the Cavaliers to 3-1 Finals Comeback

The Cavaliers, led by LeBron James, entered the 2016 NBA Finals with a fully healthy team. However, the Golden State Warriors took a 3-1 series lead after winning Game 4 108-97. Many considered the series’ outcome a foregone conclusion, since no team had overcome a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals at that point.

However, James took charge and dominated in Game 5, with 41 points, seven assists, and 16 rebounds in the Cavaliers’ Game 5 win. The Cavaliers returned home for Game 6 and largely dominated it, winning 115-101. James had 41 points and 11 assists in Game 6.

LeBron James had an all-time great performance in Game 7, with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. He is only the third player in NBA history to have a triple-double in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. James blocked Andre Iguodala in the fourth quarter to keep the game tied at 89 before making a free throw to put the Cavaliers up 93-89 late in the fourth quarter. That free throw and a defensive stop sealed the 2016 championship for the Cavaliers.

LeBron James made a promise to bring Cleveland a championship and he delivered on it.

Kevin Durant Enters the Warriors-Cavaliers Rivalry

Kevin Durant joining the Warriors in the 2016 offseason shook up the NBA. It even led to a change in how the NBA’s salary cap increases. For our purposes, it meant that overcoming the Golden State Warriors to win an NBA championship was now a monumental task. LeBron James led the Cavaliers to the 2017 and 2018 Finals, but the Cavaliers could only win one game in those two series against the Warriors’ super-team.

The Warriors went 16-1 in the 2017 playoffs. James averaged 33 points, 10 assists, and 12 rebounds in the 2017 Finals and did all he could to win. The Warriors swept the Cavaliers in the 2018 NBA Finals despite James averaging 34 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds per game in the series. James scored 51 points in Game 1 of the 2018 Finals.

The Cavaliers were heavily outmatched in these Finals series and James played well in both series. As a result, losing these series doesn’t cast doubt on LeBron James’ GOAT case.

Fourth NBA Championship

LeBron James won his fourth NBA championship and fourth Finals MVP award in 2020 as the Lakers defeated the Heat in six games in the 2020 NBA Finals. James averaged 29 points, eight assists, and 11 rebounds per game in the 2020 Finals. James is one of only three NBA players to win an NBA championship with three different teams.

The Lakers haven’t made the Finals since 2020, but LeBron James has remained a top-tier player in the NBA. James averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists in the 2023-24 NBA season. This is particularly impressive since the 2023-24 season was James’ 21st season in the NBA.

Who Has The Edge in This NBA GOAT Debate?

Given their respective resumes, it is understandable why many people consider either Michael Jordan or LeBron James the greatest player in NBA history. However, Jordan has a bit of an edge in this debate. Jordan won more championships, more Finals MVPs, and more regular season MVPs than LeBron.

Additionally, Jordan won the Defensive Player of the Year Award and James has not won this award. LeBron James has the edge in terms of longevity, having played 21 NBA seasons thus far. That being said, Michael Jordan has a stronger case to be the NBA’s GOAT than LeBron James, though it is close.

More NBA Content Is Coming Soon

Comparing the GOAT cases of LeBron James and Michael Jordan is certainly interesting. We hope you enjoyed our entry in this debate. Check back soon for more NBA content.