LeBron James or Kobe Bryant? Basketball legend Michael Jordan once gave his answer to this seemingly impossible question.
LeBron and Kobe are no doubt two of the greatest basketball players of all time, and who better to decide who to pick than arguably the greatest of all time, Michael Jordan.
Jordan competed in the NBA between the years of 1984 and 2003, and during this time he led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships. He became a central figure within the sport, and helped drive it to worldwide popularity in the 1980s and 1990s.
In his career, Jordan earned five NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards and holds the NBA record for a regular-season scoring average of 30.1 points per game. He also achieved the basketball Triple Crown, a feat only seven other players have done. These achievements are just a few from his long list, and justify why his opinion on Kobe or LeBron matters.
LeBron James vs Kobe Bryant
Michael Jordan once had his say on the huge basketball debate
Nicknamed ‘King James’, LeBron James is the oldest active player in the NBA at 40 years old, but still plays at an impressively high level. He is in his 22nd NBA season and is the league's all-time leading scorer, as well as the first player in history to reach 50,000 points.
James has won four NBA championships, and was also part of the Los Angeles Lakers team that won the NBA Cup in 2023. Other achievements include three Olympic gold medals, ranking fourth in NBA career assists, and four NBA MVP awards.
Before his tragic death in 2020, Kobe Bryant had nothing short of a remarkable career. He spent his entire 20-year career with the Lakers, becoming their all-time leading scorer. During this time, he won five NBA championships and was an 18-time All-Star. He was the first guard in history to play 20 seasons and ranks fourth in league all-time regular season scoring.
Michael Jordan's Response to Kobe or LeBron Question
The GOAT was asked and he duly delivered
Michael Jordan
Back in 2013, Jordan was asked the question of who’s better by veteran sports analyst Ahmad Rashad at his 50th birthday special, and his response was as perfect as you'd expect it to be.
Jordan said: "In terms of dominance of the game of basketball, at this stage it's LeBron.
LeBron James & Kobe Bryant's career highlights (selected)
Accolades
NBA Championship
NBA Finals MVP
NBA MVP
NBA All-Star
NBA All-Star Game MVP
All-NBA First Team
All-NBA Second Team
All-NBA Third Team
"Championship-wise, it's Kobe Bryant. He wants it so bad, and he's willing to go to the extreme. Guarding a point guard at the age of 34, playing 38 minutes, 40 minutes, that's ludicrous.”
Not a definitive answer, and Jordan acknowledged that it is an incredibly tough choice to make. He then referenced the number of titles each had won, perhaps showing a slight tip in Bryant’s favour.
"Five (rings) beats one," Jordan said (James having won one championship at the time).
Now a four-time champion, James is 4-6 all-time in the Finals. Before his death, Bryant was 5-2. However, Jordan still remains on top, holding a perfect 6-0 record.
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