Michael Jordan and LeBron James are widely regarded as two of the greatest basketball players of all time. As for James, the four-time champion continued to impress in Year 21, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to their first NBA Cup title while posting the best efficiency numbers of his career. Of course, many still believe that the title “GOAT” belongs to Michael Jordan.
In addition to leading the Chicago Bulls to two three-peat championships, Michael Jordan’s two-way play gave him an edge in the eyes of many fans. In addition to winning the 1988 Defensive Player of the Year Award, MJ also led the league in steals three times during his career.
As someone who played against Michael Jordan and played alongside LeBron James, Ray Allen has a unique perspective on the GOAT debate. The Hall of Famer and elite three-point shooter won NBA gold alongside LeBron James with the Miami Heat.
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Still, he feels Michael Jordan is unique in the greatest-of-all-time debate.while speaking realist realistAllen explained:
“Playing against him and MJ, it was MJ all day long for me… LeBron is probably one of the best passers in the league. MJ, that’s probably the weakest part of his game… but with that At the same time, MJ doesn’t have any other weaknesses.”
A look at a key difference in the Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James GOAT debate
Ray Allen’s comments about the “GOAT” debate itself started people thinking. While some agree with his assessment, others point out that one of the biggest differences in the two players’ games is that Michael Jordan isn’t known for his three-point shooting.
His game relies heavily on his incredible athleticism in the paint and his mid-range shooting. While LeBron James relied on his size and athleticism early in his career, his game has adapted to the three-point era.
Still, as many fans were quick to point out, Jordan averaged 40.0% from three-point range in the Finals and 34.5% from three-point range in the playoffs. On the other hand, LeBron James shot 35.2% from the field in the Finals and 33.1% from three-point range in the playoffs.
Where James surpasses Jordan in three-point shooting percentage is in his regular season three-point shooting percentage. His career three-point shooting percentage per game is 34.5%. Of course, as many are quick to counter, these numbers might have looked a lot different had Jordan played in the three-point era.
As we’ve seen over the years, these two legends will continue to be mentioned alongside each other when it comes to the greatest of all time.