Comparison of Jordan and Lebron's Postseason Career Thus Far

Jordan is a product of being the most exciting athlete when ESPN went mainstream, while newspapers still had sway and before the internet became universal.

So the Jordsn is the unquestioned GOAT is a product of that recipe.

For the record, I have always maintained that Magic was the best also.

 

So it's actually more of an achievement to not make the finals unless you win it?

 

I absolutely agree with this.

 

Lebron may be chasing to be number 2 but he has several other players he needs to pass in order to get there. One of those players he needs to pass to get to 2 is Jordan.

 

At the end of the day it's about how many titles you win as the alpha dog and how you win them. Jordan was not efficient at all in his last couple of playoff title runs. He shot 30%ish in his last series against Utah and took a bunch of shots. Yet he made the key plays to win the games. So MJ is the GOAT. Simple as that.

Lebron only has two rings. If by the time he's done he has four or five he will probably be the No.2 best basketball player of all time.

 

People must not forget...the 90's East was as strong as West is today...and Jordan still dominated

If Lebron was achieiving what his doing in the West then I might take the comparison seriously...

But only winning 2 wins out of 5 in the finals (lucky to get his 2nd one if it wasnt for Spurs choking)...speaks loudly of how easy his had it in the east when it comes to going deep in the playoffs

 

Who exactly has lebron beat? The east sucks. Yes he's a great player, but handpicking the safest route to a championship every couple years discounts his alleged greatness

 

Jordan is the best SG of all time, but it's apples to oranges for other positions.

 

You want to penalize those championships because of who they didn't play? That's like the Rockets championships don't count because Jordan was out.

What's next? We have to rate your playoff path to count, who was or wasn't injured, was it a shortened season, etc. In the end all that matters is the number you won.

LeBron has 2 so he has a while to go.

 

We have a comedian in the community.

 

Magic might not even be the second best Laker of all time.

 

Based on what?

Make your case.

 

So he's not the second best Laker of all time..what two Lakers are better? Kareem and Shaq? Kareem and Kobe? Shaq and Kobe?

Besides Kareem, I don't think you can make the case for any Laker being better than Magic. And as far as Kareem goes, he was a product of less competition, much like Russell and Chamberlain.

All that being said, Magic's inconsistency as a shooter is what really inhibits me claiming him to be GOAT. He was great in every other department though, and that how I'd describe Lebron as well, but Lebron's shot is far more consistent (with the exception of this year).

Jordan is still probably the greatest of all time, but Lebron is definitely not as far behind as some people would like to think. Jordan's stake on being #1 is a product of Nike, ESPN, and himself. As great as he was, his legacy is amazing because people only focus on his great moments, and not on any of his failures. If Lebron wins a title this year, then he is cemented as a #2 in my eyes. He wins another one or two, especially in Cleveland, there's no reason that he is not the GOAT. If he wins another one or two, then his legacy will also be focused on his successes instead of his failures.

 

You do realise Jordan along with Nike and his other endorsement partners...they opened up the market for the other NBA players to make a brand for themselves and helped the NBA along with it.

You don't think Lebron, Kobe, Durant, Rose are not getting the same treatment from there sponsors? Without Jordan, Nike and Gatorade, players of today would not be revered by the kids as much as they are now

Jordan had his fair share of knocks during his career. It's just you can't remember them.
Lebron will get the same treatment. When his done and dusted....his achievements will be the one that is remembered...unless he does something really really stupid.

Why do we have to lower the bar for Lebron? So he wins 4 rings and his the GOAT? Or you mean he should be rightly in a discussion of being a GOAT?

 

I get that. They tend to cut into the Sportcenter highlight type of narratives that so many fans love. Never mind that Lebron's shooting in the playoffs is the same as Corey Brewer's, for example.

Lebron has clearly not played as well as in the past. That doesn't mean he hasn't been great, but the whole "best player on the planet" thing is kind of a lifetime achievement award.

 

Wilt was also a Laker.

Magic wasn't great in every other department. He was a bad defender.

I still think he's top 10, but behind Kareem and Wilt.

 

He played 5 years there at the end of his career, one of which he only played 12 games.

If Wilt was a Laker, I guess that make Shaq a Heater or Cav or Celtic.

 

He went to the Lakers at 32, won an MVP and a finals MVP. Won a ring.

It was kind of like Garnett going to the Celtics at 31. Not sure what people think of wilt, but Garnett will be remembered more as a celtic.

If you take only their laker careers, you take magic, but overall it's wilt

 

The Goat is clearly Hakeem.

Then you can make a case for Jordan, Bird, Magic, Kareem, LerBon, MerGady, Shack for #2.

 

Lebron has a free overpass to the finals every year. Put Lebron in the West and he wouldn't get out of the second round. If the Cavs were the second team in the west it would have been a real challenge getting pass a Clippers or Spurs team. Last time Lebron loss against a first round game was against the 2012 Knicks. After that Lebron been playing against teams that tried tainting but still ended up in the playoffs. If Knicks really wanted to beat Lebron they wouldn't have given him Shumpert and J.R. Put LMA on Pacers or Durant on Bulls and see how hard it would be for Lebron. West are probably going to get Townes and Okafor. Which means the West would have Okafor, Townes, Howard, Cousins, M.Gasol, etc. for big men. Timberwolves don't need to be good because the west already has enough teams that are good. Come on NBA give Lebron a challenge.