It’s a debate that captivates the NBA world on a daily basis. The debate that can divide the closest of friends, that can turn the internet upside down in an instant — who is the greatest basketball player of all-time, LeBron James or Michael Jordan?
As the kid from Akron continues to dominate the NBA and pass Jordan in basically every statistical category, the conversation continues to rage on as the two NBA legends are stacked against each other.
James recently equaled Jordan in regular season appearances as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in which James did his thing yet again pouring on 30 points and steadying the Cavs’ uneven play to start the season. His stellar performance joins the list of outstanding showings already this campaign, which includes a 57-point outburst to sink the Washington Wizards on the road in a masterful display. In doing so, the King became just the second player ever to score over 50 points in their 15th season or later, and joined His Airness as the only players in NBA history to score in double-digits in 800 consecutive games.
The Cavaliers’ main man is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down, and crazily enough, may actually be getting better even in his 15th season as he’s registering a career-high in assists, field goal percentage and free throw percentage to start this season.
With James’ prime extending to more seasons than Jordan’s entire tenure with the Chicago Bulls, it’s caused more and more NBA personalities to come forward and make the case for James as the best player the league has ever seen.
One of those personalities is FS1’s Nick Wright, who is an advocate for James as the best of all-time. Unlike other NBA pundits who come from a purely emotional and nostalgic place with Jordan by dismissing James, Wright uses facts, numbers and logical perspectives when placing James atop the NBA mountain.
Wright recently appeared on “First Things First” and comprehensively settled the debate in just 79 seconds.
James and Jordan are without doubt two of the greatest players that have ever touched a basketball within the NBA. Their legacies are both different, but will live long in the memory of NBA fans well after they have both retired from the game.
The debate will no doubt go on forever, but without their careers crossing paths, it will be an answer that will always come down to personal preference and generational sentiment. It’s a testament to James, who is already in the conversation whilst still playing, remaining the undisputed best player in the world and having a large chunk of his prime still to play out.
Unfortunately for Jordan, his book has already been written, but James continues to add more chapters to his on a nightly basis. The argument for Cavaliers’ star grows day by day, and in the end, we may in fact be witnessing the greatest player the league has ever seen when it’s all said and done.