Bill Laimbeer said that he would take a prime LeBron James over a prime Michael Jordan and breaks down exactly why.
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The age old debate on whether LeBron James has surpassed Michael Jordan as the greatest NBA player of all time is one that isn’t going to lose steam any time soon. With James joking around with Tom Brady about playing basketball until he’s 50, it’s safe to assume that he could approach an age close to that and still be in the league the way he’s playing at 37.
The crux of the argument in favor of LeBron is his longevity. The fact that he’s been an MVP caliber player for 18 seasons in a row and has made 10 NBA Finals appearances is something cannot be brushed aside. However, Jordan’s perfect Finals record is one of several factors that stands in the way of James being universally accepted as the ’GOAT’.
Of course, with the most recent season for the Los Angeles Lakers being an absolute wash despite LeBron James averaging 30+ points a game, them missing the Playoffs adds another caveat for his ‘GOAT’ campaign.
It’s safe to say that a majority of NBA fans and media members do not believe he has caught the ‘ghost from Chicago’ as of yet.
LeBron James and Michael Jordan debate with Bill Laimbeer.
When it comes to the greatest, Michael Jordan has an upper hand. When it comes to who you would want on your team in a one-game elimination situation or who you would bet on in a 1v1, the answer may vary significantly from person to person.
When Dan Patrick asked Bill Laimbeer, a ‘Bad Boy’ Pistons alum, who he would take between MJ and LBJ, he picked the latter without any hesitation. Whether this choice was impacted by his negative emotions towards Michael and his Chicago Bulls, is unclear.
“There is no question that I would take LeBron James. He could do more. Michael Jordan could score and hit big shots and look spectacular at times with wild flying dunks but LeBron can get you 18 rebounds. He can get you 15 assists if he chooses to or he could score 50 if he wanted to,” said Bill.
Funnily enough, both Michael and LeBron have the same amount of games played in their regular season career with 18+ rebounds and that’s 2. The most assists MJ has had in a game is 17 while James’s is 19, only two more.
Isiah Thomas, Bill’s Pistons point guard, is also someone who adamantly chooses LeBron James over Michael Jordan both as a player and in terms of greatness.
