There’s little doubt that Michael Jordan and LeBron James are the 2 greatest players of all time. They’ve defined consistency and excellence at a level that few other players were ever capable of.
Advertisement
Both of them have carried their teams as scorers, playmakers, and in general, as offensive fulcrums. They’ve also had to shoulder significant defensive burdens at their primes. However, they’ve had different approaches to the way they operate within their teams’ offenses.
MJ was a dominant scorer who entered his element in the 4th quarter after letting his teammates get their shots earlier. He did pace his shot attempts – he famously aimed to score 8 points every quarter – but when the clutch periods came about, you always knew he’d be the one shooting.
LeBron, meanwhile, has the ability to generate an efficient drive for himself on most possessions. His court awareness allows him to put defenses in no-win positions because of his all-time great passing skill. He beats opponents both with his passing as well as his scoring.
Different people appreciate different styles, which is why a part of the GOAT debate is subjective. However, most players would rather team up with the willing playmaker – at least according to a former teammate of MJ.
Charles Oakley Explains Why He’d Rather Play Alongside LeBron James Than Michael Jordan
19-year NBA veteran Charles Oakley was recently a guest with Kevin Garnett on the KG Certified Podcast. Oakley, who made the 1994 All-Star Game, was MJ’s enforcer on the Bulls in his initial years.
Oakley and Jordan developed a close friendship that lasted even though the former became a perennial Conference rival after his trade to the New York Knicks in 1988. They later teamed up for Jordan’s final season with the Wizards.
Having seen Jordan up close and personal from both sides, Oakley usually rates Jordan above LeBron. However, he revealed to Garnett that he’d rather be on James’ team:
“They always say Mike would take the shot, but LeBron would pass the shot. They asked me, who would I rather play with, LeBron or Mike? I said LeBron (James), but Mike’s my best friend, but Mike ain’t passing me the ball.”
“He’d be okay if I got the shot today or tomorrow! But you know, that’s how he got to be Mike.”
“When they make the comparison, LeBron or Mike, I say ‘Frosty Flakes, Corn Flakes – Mike, LeBron. Mike got the sugar, LeBron ain’t got the sugar, but I got sugar so I like LeBron.”
Is there a point to the GOAT debate?
Most people who side with either Mike or LeBron right now are unlikely to change their opinions in the future. James is unlikely to win another championship, while Jordan is unlikely to come out of retirement and pad his totals.
Whoever you pick, team sports that have evolved as much as basketball – even in the past 40 years or so – can’t really be scaled in terms of era-wise comparison. All we know is that some great players would dominate every era of basketball, and James and LeBron certainly belong in there.
