Why Dwyane Wade Was Wrong About LeBron James vs Michael Jordan
When asked if LeBron could pass MJ’s Legacy, Dwyane Wade laughed and said:
“No, it’s not possible, It’s not possible. You can’t go past it, how can you? Thats a great as it gets, man. The only thing you can do is tie it. There is no 19th hole.”
When referring to the 19th hole, Dwyane Wade is using golf as an analogy, as he did in an interview in 2012 when asked to compare Jordan and James.
When comparing these two, who are obviously two of the greatest basketball players to ever play, the argument for Jordan is that he has six NBA Championships where as LeBron only has three.
In attempt to settle this debate, lets first take a look at their resumes.
Jun 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates with the Larry O
LeBron James’ NBA Resume:
(Currently 31 years old)
Michael Jordan’s NBA Resume:
(At Age 31)
Comparing Resumes:
Since LeBron James’ career is not over, it’s unfair to compare MJ’s total resume against LeBron’s. So, as you noticed, I compared the resumes at LeBron’s current age, its only fair. Now while some will say that LeBron has had three more years in the NBA to build his resume, lets not forget that he came into the NBA as an 18-year-old, straight out of high school and into the pros.
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Michael Jordan went to he University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was able to mature under one of the best coaches of all time in Dean Smith.
While I am not holding it against Michael Jordan that he went to college instead of going straight into the NBA, it is also unfair to hold it against LeBron James that he came straight into the NBA out of high school.
Not only was he an 18-year-old kid playing against guys in their mid 20’s and 30’s, he was dominating them. In his rookie year LeBron James averaged 20.9 points, 5.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game.
In Michael Jordan’s rookie year (age 21) he averaged 28.2 points, 5.9 assists and 6.5 rebounds per game, which is even more impressive.
However, again ,MJ had three years to mature whereas LeBron jumped head first into the NBA.
Apr 4, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; NBA former player Michael Jordan and NCAA president Mark Emmert during halftime of the game between the Villanova Wildcats and the North Carolina Tar Heels in the championship game of the 2016 NCAA Men
With that being said, let’s get to the comparison.
Lebron James:
Michael Jordan:
Since LeBron had three more years of experience, this comparison can seem a little lopsided. However, LeBron did had one more MVP award, but Jordan earned the Defensive Player of the Year award.
At their peaks, who had the better year?
When talking about “peak years” when referring to a player, I think of the year where the player was most dominant and put up the best numbers. With that being said, which of the two players best year is the best?
Michael Jordan:
LeBron James:
So who had the better season? LeBron finished with 66 wins and Michael Jordan finished with 47 wins. However, Jordan played more games and averaged more points per game.
Oct 5, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) throws a no-look pass in the first quarter against the Orlando Magic at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Career Averages
Although Michael Jordan is retired, and LeBron James is only 31, it is always fun to debate who’s better. The next area of focus is the career averages of the two NBA stars. Lets take a look at who has the upper hand when it comes to career averages.
(Regular Season Only)
Michael Jordan:
LeBron James:
Even though Michael Jordan has a larger sample size when it comes to career stats, both are eerily similar. Take a look at the blocks per game, FG%, and 3PT%, all are very close. Both Jordan and James were/are absolute terrors on the defensive end of the floor and both got to the rim with ease.
Jun 16, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) stands on the court against the Golden State Warriors in game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland won 115-101. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
NBA Finals Averages
When ranking the all time great players, the most common argument brought up is the ring count. So lets look a bit deeper and see which player performed the best at the highest stage of the game.
Michael Jordan:
LeBron James:
Both LeBron and Jordan put on shows in the NBA Finals. While MJ battled Charles Barkley‘s Suns, LeBron James was up against “The Splash Brothers” in Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. Michael Jordan dominated this series as you can see in the stats above.
Although LeBron lost this series, many thought he deserved the Finals MVP award for how he carried his team who was missing Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.
So, how was Dwyane Wade wrong? Lets find out.
Apr 2, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) look on in the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Why Dwyane Wade Was Wrong
LeBron James is 31 years old. Michael Jordan retired (the second time) when he was 36 years old. With that being said, LeBron James easily has another five years left in the tank, possibly 6 or 7 (if we are lucky).
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Which leads me to wonder why Dwyane Wade can say with certainty that LeBron James will never pass Michael Jordan’s Legacy. What if LeBron plays for six more years and wins six more rings, that would put him at 9 total. Now while that is very unlikely to happen, anything is possible. My point is that Dwyane Wade does not know what the future holds, so making statements like that are irrational.
At the same time, I am not taking away from the great Michael Jordan, I am simply saying that no one will know who has a better legacy until LeBron James announces his retirement.
It is very possible that LeBron wins another NBA title, however it is also possible that LeBron does not. Dwyane Wade claims that the best LeBron can do is tie MJ’s legacy. I believe it is very possible for LeBron to not only tie, but surpass Jordan as the greatest of all time.
Overall, I am not here to convince you that LeBron James is a better basketball player than Michael Jordan. Only time will tell. Until then, we can debate back and forth over who has the greater legacy.