It is no question that Lebron is the best basketball player of his generation. The way he has been able to control the game for the past ten seasons and dictate entire seasons has made his contribution to the league undisputed. In a very similar light, Michael Jordan had a similar impact in the 90s with his six championship runs with the Chicago Bulls. This leads everyone to rationally try and compare the two. Everyone wants to give NBA history a definitive GOAT, but this cannot be done.
When looking at the big picture, there are certainly reasons for both sides to feel like MJ is significantly better Lebron and vice versa. Lebron's career isn't over yet and he's made seven NBA Finals already, but has only a 3-4 record in those series, while MJ went 6-for-6 in his time in Chicago. Does that mean that MJ is a better closer and winner than Lebron? Maybe. However, look at the stats for when both of these players left their respective teams, it seems Lebron's impact is much more resounding. When Jordan left to play baseball in 1993, the Bulls still managed to win 50+ games and come close to making the NBA Finals again, without the alleged GOAT. Lebron abandoned 60 win teams in both Cleveland and Miami. Neither made the postseason in his wake, and both became lottery teams in an instant.
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They played different positions with different play styles. Lebron never played college ball, while MJ played for UNC for four seasons. The differences and arguments on both sides are endless, so are you really able to compare? Will there really be a definitive best player, especially in the NBA where there are way too many metrics to measure who is the best at what?
People need to take into consideration the difference between the league in the 90's and now. Back then, the main focus for teams was at the big man position, with physical, low-scoring, defensive playoff games being the result. In today's league, teams are structured much greater around the three-pointer. The teams that have won the most games in the 2017 season, such as the Cavs, Rockets, Spurs, and Warriors, are teams that are currently top 10 in three point shooting. Seeing now how the league has evolved, it is evident that play style from a guy like Lebron is going to differ greatly from Jordan.
At the end of the day, both of these excellent players dictate the league when they're playing their best ball. At this point, it is undisputed who everyone thinks is going to come out of the Eastern Conference: Lebron's team. And now, with the countless veterans he has for a supporting cast, it is an even safer bet, many people have even put them ahead of Golden State as favorites to win it all.
Go try and argue who is better, MJ or Lebron. You'll probably want to end your relationship with whoever disagrees with you, so just acknowledge that maybe the two players are totally separate entities given the dynamic of their own play, and the league as a whole.
