LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan is probably the biggest debate in the NBA world when it comes to naming who the greatest player of all time is.
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Michael Jordan seemed to have his stake on that title after his ridiculously dominant 1990s run in which he won six NBA titles (coming off of two three-peats), five NBA MVPs, and a whole list of other accolades.
Nobody could upstage him. Or so it seemed. LeBron James was set to enter the NBA world in 2003 with the moniker ‘The Chosen One’ already attributed to him. He was pitted against Michael Jordan from the day he entered the league.
Things didn’t change much once he joined it as after winning four titles now and accumulating a host of other records and stats, LeBron’s target is set on passing Jordan.
Paul Pierce recently weighed in on the debate between LeBron and MJ, and he decided to pick the Bulls legend, placing LeBron right below him.
Paul Pierce Declares Michael Jordan As The NBA GOAT Over LeBron James
Last year, Paul Pierce had some hot takes regarding LeBron’s place in NBA history as he said that the current Lakers star isn’t even top five on his all-time list.
At the time, LeBron was ‘only’ 3-6 in the NBA Finals, and as a result, Pierce just couldn’t see him putting LeBron over other legends who had won more than three titles, especially not Michael Jordan.
However, the Celtics legend did offer an ultimatum, that if LeBron won the title last year, he’d move him all the way up to second place on his ranking.
“It’s not easy to make an NBA Finals, and for him to be able to do it 10 times, he’s moving up there in my rankings. I’m gonna keep it real. If LeBron James … wins a title this year, I’ll put him right behind Michael Jordan.”
Well, the Lakers star definitely did win the NBA Finals as the Lakers outdueled the Miami Heat in six games with LeBron walking away with Finals MVP. According to Pierce, that should mean that LeBron is now second place in his eyes.
Second place is where most people have LeBron at. Jordan’s undefeated 6-0 record shines much brighter than LeBron’s 4-6 record. Additionally, the fact that LeBron has played with some stacked teams during his time, especially the Miami Heat, is always something that holds people back from crowning him above Jordan.
However, LeBron’s longevity and consistency is something he holds over the Bulls legend. People also point to the fact that LeBron plays a more ‘all-round’ game than MJ did. It’s a debate that will likely never end soon, but it’s one that has defined the NBA for the longest time.
