Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James is the biggest debate in the NBA, and Colin Cowherd decided to provide his take on why MJ wins the battle.
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As sports fans, comparisons are inevitably going to come up between players, teams, and much more. However, no debate as engulfed the NBA (and potentially all of sports) as much as the Jordan vs. LeBron debate. Who truly takes the crown as the greatest basketball player of all time?
Each have their own stakes to claim, and to crown either wouldn’t be outlandish. Most people seem to lean on the side of the Bulls legend as opposed to the current Lakers superstar, and it looks like Colin Cowherd was one of those people.
“Michael Jordan had something that LeBron has never had. There was a coolness without trying with MJ that I don’t think I’ve ever seen.”
— @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/8zosLcqYG1
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) July 19, 2021
Who Is Better, LeBron James Or Michael Jordan?
The GOAT debate is incredibly difficult. You have to first define what you mean by greatness? Is it just the ability to win NBA championships, is it being exceptional at scoring, or being a great all-round player?
Many different definitions apply, and there’s no way to judge which one is the best. The simple answer is that there is no one metric you can evaluate the GOAT by.
You have to consider winning, skillset, and overall ability altogether. That’s where the trouble arises between LeBron and MJ.
Jordan clearly has LeBron beat when it comes to titles (6-4), but at the same time, LeBron has made the NBA Finals a ridiculous 10 times, something Jordan can’t attest to.
Jordan has the highest career scoring average in NBA history, but LeBron is by and far the better passer and rebounder. MJ counters that with his superior defensive skills, even being a DPOY winner once, something LeBron can’t stake his name to.
One other difficulty that arises in comparing these tow legends is the time periods they played in. The generational gap between the times they played is significant due to the different style of playing both were accustomed to.
Rules were far different back in Michael Jordan’s time, and teams and opponents were built much differently than they are now with a much greater emphasis on three point shooting. So, how do you eliminate that? You can’t. In my personal opinion, we should do away with the GOAT debate for this exact reason.
If these players didn’t play in the same era, then how can you ever accurately make comparisons? Instead, we should respect both players for what they have done for the game of basketball, and perhaps, recognize them as the GOATs’ of their time.
