One of people’s favorite family films is Space Jam. This Warner Bros. release is truly a comedy, combining real actors with a troupe of animated characters led by Bugs Bunny. If the first Space Jam starred NBA legend Michael Jordan, the sequel, entitled Space Jam: A New Legacy starred LeBron James. These two basketball players have no equal. If Jordan became a phenomenal basketball player from the 80-90s, then LeBron is a famous basketball player from the 2000s until now.
At the age of 37, LeBron is still scoring 50 points per game, which makes him level with his predecessors, Michael Jordan, Jamal Crawford, and the late Kobe Bryant. Last Friday night, the athlete nicknamed King James managed to bring his team the LA Lakers to victory over the Washington Wizards with a score of 122-109. This Lakers superstar became the second player after Wilt Chamberlain (1963) to score 50 points in two games in a span of three games, while holding a triple-double title.
Triple-double is the acquisition of two-digit numbers in three statistical categories. For example, double-digit points, double-digit rebounds, and double-digit assists. This is not easy at all, a young player who often holds a triple-double is Luca Doncic. In LeBron’s last three games, he scored:
56 PTS
23 PTS, 14 REB, 12 AST
50 PTS
Amazing numbers, right?
LeBron was born into a poor family, but fortunately his basketball coach, Frankie Walker invited him to live with his family. Instead of going to college, LeBron went straight into the NBA league and became the number one choice in the 2003 NBA draft at the age of 18. The first team to sign him was the Cleveland Cavaliers, he played in his first 7 seasons. Unfortunately he couldn’t bring the Cavaliers to win, he moved to the Miami Heat and in the span of 4 years, he brought the Heat to become champions 2 times.
In 2014, the athlete known for his combination of skill, strength, jumps and towering height moved back to the Cleveland Cavaliers and led his team to league titles in 2016. Two years later, LeBron signed a contract with the LA Lakers and led his team to a championship win in 2014. in 2020 as well as getting the MPV finals for the fourth time. The man who was born on December 30, 1984 is an NBA player with an average of 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. He was once the youngest player to score 40 points in a game while earning a triple-double in the playoffs.
The basketball player who shoots a lot with his right hand when actually left-handed has won the Olympic gold medal 2 times, namely in 2008 and 2012. The athlete who is now number 6 jersey will be the only player in NBA history to become a member of the 30K-10K-10K club because he has 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists. LeBron’s 10,000th rebound was recorded against the Indiana Pacers in January which left him 39th in the all-time rankings.
He needed just 2 more assists to become the seventh player in the club’s 10,000 assists. The highest assist is still held by my favorite player, John Stockton, with 15,806. Now, LeBron becomes the third player after Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Karl Malone to collect 35,000 points and still going to increase considering he is not planning to hang up his jersey.
From the statistical value, it can be seen that this 18th All-Star player does not only act as a scorer, but he is also a play maker who can influence all aspects of the game. No player can match his productivity and efficiency. He already has the fifth highest scoring average in league history after Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor and Kevin Durant. With all his achievements, can LeBron James be able to replace Michael Jordan’s existence as the holder of the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) title that is pinned by NBA fans?
For now, Jordan is still leading in all honors minus Rookie of the Year, All-Star appearances, All-NBA Team, and Hall of Fame. Jordan also has the Defensive Player of the Year award which is difficult for LeBron to achieve. In addition, he also has a better final record and two more rings than LeBron. Throughout his career, Jordan has never lost in an NBA final. He has 10 scoring titles, 5 MPV, 6 final MPV, 10 All-NBA First Team and 9 All-Defensive First Team. LeBron himself has won 4 NBA titles with 3 teams, 4 times MVP finals, 4 times MPV league, and 13 times All-NBA First Team.
From a statistical perspective, LeBron has proven that he is a better basketball player, while Jordan beat him in the scoring section. The only category Jordan won was steals but LeBron wasn’t too far behind. Jordan has an average of 30.1 PPG to LeBron’s 27.0 PPG, however LeBron has scored 3,000 more points in over 200 games. LeBron still has a lot of games before he decides to retire. This allowed him to secure more championships so his stats line increased.
Nevertheless, regardless of who came to be considered the greatest, Michael Jordan and LeBron James have done many extraordinary things. They have become influential figures on and off the field. The two of them deservedly become the “Greatest of All Time.”
ASL
