The King Has Been Crowned

Who is the G.O.A.T. of basketball? Who is the greater NBA icon? There are only two possible answers: Michael Jordan or LeBron James. That being said, I do want to acknowledge the terrific career of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the late, great Kobe Bryant.

The debate over the greatest basketball player of all time can be everlasting, with countless perspectives to be shared. Some use statistics from the regular season, but as Max Kellerman says, the greats are made in the playoffs. Some use championships won, but this can be misleading, as some players just happen to be on great teams. Some use statistics from the last two minutes of playoff games and the memorable moments. Some use the great longevity of a career. Some use sheer physical dominance. Others simply use the “eye test.” That being said, we can all agree that a combination of all of these factors should be used in the debate to determine the greatest basketball player of all time.

As a 17-year-old kid in high school, LeBron James was on the cover of “Sports Illustrated.” James was born with a gift, the ability to become the greatest basketball player of all time, and he has worked, worked, and worked to accomplish this goal.

James wanted to “be like Mike,” as Jordan was the gold standard for years. But the tide may have turned. Did LeBron James just become the new gold standard of the NBA? The answer is a resounding yes, both on and off the court.

As a rookie in the NBA, LeBron James accomplished impossible feats, breaking countless scoring and triple-double records en route to winning the Rookie of the Year Award. LeBron James single handedly led the Cleveland Cavaliers to 18 more wins compared to the previous seasons. Keep in mind that LeBron James was a teenager! Though Jordan may have had better rookie stats to his name, James was three years younger and was still a developing prospect.

The following season marks the start of James’s absurd streak of playing in at least one playoff series every season since 2005. While this may not sound like much, and quite frankly, it is expected for the G.O.A.T. to make the playoffs every year, we shall not overlook the fact that he did so with the 2005 Cavaliers, a horrific team prior to James’s entry.

That being said, we know making the playoffs doesn't make someone the best player of all time, as both Jordan and James have great records of making the playoffs. So what gives James the edge over Jordan?

The answer is simple: prolonged greatness. LeBron James was already considered one of the top-three players in the NBA even way back in 2006, alongside the late great Kobe Bryant (rest in peace to a hero) and Tim Duncan. Tim Duncan would become a five-time champion, with three Finals MVPs, and a First Ballot Hall of Famer, alongside Kobe Bryant. LeBron James has remained a top player for the last fourteen seasons and counting. He holds the all-time record in All-NBA First Teams with 12, a number likely to be 13 by the end of this season, and maybe 14 or 15 by the end of his career.

James’s prolonged greatness includes his defensive prowess as shown by his five All-Defensive First Team selections. While Michael Jordan has a higher career average in steals, LeBron James has a defensive weapon that Jordan does not: the ability to guard all five positions on the floor, which is extremely valuable in today’s NBA. Because of this, James’ teams have had the ability to play the hot hand and did not have to worry about defensive matchups. A player like James is invaluable for a coach who needs to find the right matchups in crunch time.

When comparing statistics, Jordan averaged 30.1 points throughout the course of his career while James averaged 27.1, a minor difference. What makes James truly better is his rebounding and his passing, as he averages 7.4 assists per game to Jordan’s 5.2, and 7.4 rebounds per game to Jordan’s 5.6. James is on a completely different level than Jordan when it comes to advanced statistics. As for playoff value over replacement player, James is so far ahead of Jordan that the difference in their values would be ranked 19th for this category.

LeBron James has made it to nine NBA Finals in his career, eight being in succession, and most think he’s not done yet. While we cannot assume anything, James likely has at least three elite years left where he can make at least one more appearance on the big stage. This year is no exception, as James’s Lakers currently hold the number one spot in the West and have a clear path to the Finals, should there be one. The staple of the modern NBA is LeBron James, much like how Jordan was the staple of the ‘90s.

However, not all of those nine Finals appearances are the same, and the anecdotes from those matchups are just as important as the numbers themselves. These eight words from 2016 come to life in every NBA fan's mind: “Curry back to Igoudala, oh blocked by James.” Yes, that was the most memorable defensive play of all time from the world’s best player on the biggest stage. Great players make great plays in the big moment, and LeBron James certainly stepped up for his hometown city of Akron, Ohio—just outside Cleveland.

James is often degraded for his Finals record of 3-6, especially when compared to Jordan’s spectacular 6-0. That being said, James had the misfortune of running into arguably the greatest dynasty at the peak of his prime. During one game, there was a graphic showing LeBron James, Kyle Korver, and Tristan Thompson for the Cavaliers, while the Warriors’ side showed Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green. Sheesh. This quartet of Warriors made them arguably the best team of all time, and losing to them twice is rather forgivable.

Some of LeBron James’s Finals’ losses are bad—almost horrific. The most talked about one is when the Heat lost to an aging Spurs team in 2014. LeBron James didn’t step up to the plate and instead of winning this series in five games, lost it in five.

Though James certainly has his lows, he has ultimately sustained excellence over the years. LeBron James has made 16 All-Star Games, third all time to Kobe’s 18 and Kareem’s record of 19. However, LeBron James can and most likely will break this record in the next few years and become the ultimate All-Star.

LeBron James and Michael Jordan are vastly different players. In one word, LeBron James is a playmaker. For the majority of James’s career, he has made players around him known, such as Mike Miller and Matthew Dellavodova, to name a couple. James is also eighth all time in assists—as a small forward! Alongside being a great passer, he is the third highest scorer of all time, with a legitimate chance of climbing to second, or even first. That being said, this statistic is a product of James being in the league for a longer amount of time and does not discredit Jordan, as he spent three years playing at the University of North Carolina under the late great head coach Dean Smith and retired multiple times.

What makes LeBron James the best player of all time is his ability to stay great for such a long period of time while making others around him better. From his memorable quotes like “Cleveland, this is for you” to his buzzer beaters in the playoffs to the iconic photo of him dunking with Dwyane Wade’s arms out, LeBron James has influenced sports like no other. The craziest thing is that LeBron James is not done yet, as he is still considered a top MVP candidate at 35 and can win a title with the Lakers this season, barring cancellation.

However, Jordan does have six rings to James’s three, and though there isn't much justification to this, I can attempt to give some. Jordan played with Scottie Pippen, a top-five player in the league at that time, who helped him get those six rings. James carried the 2007 Cavaliers to the Finals all on his own and Jordan can never say he accomplished such a feat.

While James will likely retire with less championship rings than Jordan, LeBron James is still the greatest of all time. The kid from Akron should be crowned at the ultimate throne. All of the other greats are just that—great—but they are subject to the throne of LeBron James, the king himself.