When it comes to the NBA, two names tend to come up. LeBron James and Michael Jordan, like politics, are something you might not want to bring up at family gatherings. Sometimes people call LeBron James the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) and some people call Michael Jordan the GOAT, but when it comes down to it, there can only be one, and that is Michael Jordan. 

Many people seem to believe that LeBron James is the best because he is the all-time leading scorer in the NBA. However, Michael Jordan is a better player all around. This means that MJ can play good offense and defense. Another way that Jordan is better than LeBron is that he is more durable on the court. LeBron has been injured more than Jordan and sometimes is perceived as a weaker player. Jordan has shown strength through small injuries, while James feeds into the pain. 

Overall, Jordan has a higher efficiency rate than James. Meaning that Jordan does better things more consistently. For example, Jordan averaged 30.1 points per game throughout 15 seasons while James averaged 27.2 throughout 20 seasons. 

Another thing that Jordan beats James in is awards. Jordan has won 6 out of 6 finals that he has been in, while James has only won 4 out of 10 finals. Jordan has won 5 MVP’s, but James has only won 4 MVP’s. Jordan has 6 Final’s MVP’s and James only has 4 Final’s MVP’s. Overall, Jordan takes the complete victory over James in awards. Jordan has won so many awards which inspired me and so many other people in the world. 

Growing up, my family watched Michael Jordan play and loved to support him. When I was born, Jordan, sadly, had already retired. I would have loved to see him play in person or see a live game on the TV. However, my family and many families around the world, influenced their younger children to fall in love with the way MJ played the game.

 Michael wasn’t just a great player on offense. I believe that Michael Jordan helped prove that the saying, “The best defender is always on the court,” is true. Michael Jordan was a super difficult player to guard on offense, but also a phenomenal player on defense, making it hard to score when he was guarding you. His gameplay inspired this generation, older generations, and many future generations. 

LeBron and Michael are both great players, however, Michael Jordan is the OG. In fact, in an interview, James stated that he looked up to Jordan as a kid, which is proof that Michael is the best player. Many players, including LeBron James, have established skills from Michael Jordan, which is helping keep Jordan’s recognition alive. Many great players like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Allen Iverson, and Kobe Bryant aren’t recognized as much anymore when it comes to basketball; which I hope never happens to Jordan.  Don’t get me wrong, LeBron is a great player and has influenced the younger generation, but you can’t fight with facts. Michael Jordan is the Greatest Of All Time.