We’re not going to talk about rings cause then Bill Rusell is the undisputed best ever!
We’re also not going tp waste anyone’s time with LeBron vs Jordan.
My top 3 all time is:
LBJ
Kobe
Jordan
The only MAJOR difference (besides size) between those three names is Phil Jackson. LeBron didn’t have a coach like that to keep him on the right path. LeBron grew up without a dad in Akron, Ohio and made it to the top by himself.
Kobe mimicked Jordan’s game and did it better. The difference between LeBron, Kobe and MJ is that LeBron makes his teammates better and is a much better facilitator than either of those two ball dominant shooters could ever dream of being. Kobe was able to win with AWFUL rosters, Jordan needed Pippen and Rodman and couldn’t even beat the Pistons or Lakers until their stars were out of their primes.
The only reason he is not the greatest ever in everyone’s eyes is because of the media. People love to hate LeBron because he is great.
Every single year the top 3 finalists for MVP are LeBron and 2 other people. He deserves MVP every year he plays.
LeBron entered the league in 2003-2004 when he won the ROY award. Steve Nash did not deserve back to back MVPs in 04-06 one of those should be Kobe Bryant’s. In the 06-07 season Dirk won MVP averaging 24.6 ppg, 8.9 rpg, and 1.6 apg (not even his career best year). LeBron averaged 27.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 6.0 apg. Did Dirk deserve MVP over LeBron that year? 07-08 Kobe won and I will never take anything away from Kobe. He is the 2nd best all time because of his mamba mentality. LeBron won back to back MVPs for the first time in 08-09 and 09-10. In the 10-11 season Derrick Rose won MVP because the media hyped him up so much and it was a “feel good story” his numbers weren’t better than LeBron’s by any stretch of anyone’s imagination. Rose averaged 25.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg and 7.7 apg. LeBron averaged 26.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg, and 7.0 apg and was robbed of another MVP in the 10-11 season. LeBron won back to back in 11-12 and 12-13 and hasn’t won a single MVP since then. I will now make the case that LeBron was robbed from 2013-2020 because of the media trying to do everything possible to stop LeBron from being the greatest of all time. They might as well have signed a petition to remove LeBron from MVP consideration cause that’s what they did!
The MVP is the most valuable player. In order to tell who the real MVP of a season was you have to switch him with LeBron and see if the team would’ve done better or worse. In 13-14 LeBron was robbed by Kevin Durant. The Thunder that year had Durant, Ibaka, Westbrook, Harden and Steven Adams. They still weren’t able to beat the Spurs in the Western Conference finals with that insanely stacked team. You know who did beat the Spurs? No one they won the NBA finals against LeBron and the Heat. That was Kawahi Leonard’s first Finals MVP and he locked up LeBron which seemed impossible before. Regardless of the playoffs LeBron had a better regular season because he was more important to the Heat than Durant was to the Thunder. LeBron averaged 26.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg, and 7.3 apg whereas Durant averaged 32.0 ppg, 7.4 rpg and 5.5 apg. Durant got 9 points from the foul line every single night and LeBron only averaged around 5. This is the only MVP race that was close but LeBron still deserved it over Durant.
In 14-15 Curry won MVP averaging 23.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, and 7.7 apg while shooting 48.7% from the field (I would argue Klay Thompson was more instrumental to the Warriors that season then Curry). Regardless, LeBron averaged 25.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, and 7.4 apg while shooting 48.8% (HIGHER THAN CURRY). Why did he not win MVP? I know why, media bias. In 15-16 Curry won unanimous MVP. I don’t know how not 1 single person didn’t vote for LeBron. Curry had career high scoring with 30.1 ppg while taking 4 more shots per game and his assists dropped. That was the year the Warriors won the most games ever (thanks to Klay) and they still chocked in the Finals.
I want everyone to read this sentence: LEBRON BEAT THE GREATEST TEAM STATISTICALLY OF ALL TIME AFTER BEING DOWN 3-1 IN THE FINALS!
LeBron was the MVP for Cleveland because he brought them their 1st championship and maybe only championship ever! Why was he not the league MVP?
The next year KD left to join the Warriors and proved that no one was beating the Warriors. Guess who won MVP the next year? Russell Westbrook who averaged a triple double while he was playing alone in OKC without Durant or Harden. Does that mean Kevin Love deserves MVP from when he averaged 20.2 and 15.2 in Minnesota? No because the voters gave the award to Derrick Rose that year. If we are not going to follow the same logic then I don’t know how we can ever vote for the MVP. When a player plays alone his numbers will be inflated and LeBron deserved MVP in 16-17 because he was more important to the Cavs then Westbrook was to the Thunder, the Thunder were eliminated that year in the first round. The fact that LeBron was able to win 1 game in the finals that year should say something considering he was playing against the greatest team ever assembled and Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving were both out the entire series with injuries.
In 17-18 Harden won MVP averaging 30.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, and 8.8 apg but didn’t win the next year when he averaged 36.1 ppg. How does that make sense to anyone? LeBron averaged 27.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg and 9.1 apg. LeBron was more valuable in his last season for the Cavs then Harden was for any team he ever played for.
In 18-19 LeBron suffered his first major injury and everyone called him soft. At age 34 he still averaged 27, 8 and 8. Giannas got MVP but the media is trying to pick any player besides LeBron.
I cannot believe in 19-20 that Giannas got the MVP again, actually I can believe it because everyone wants Giannas to be the next greatest player but sorry LeBron is still in the league. In his age 35 season he became a point guard and averaged 25.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg, and 10.2 apg. How is that not an MVP season?
LeBron is the most hated player to ever play basketball. He averaged at least 25, 5 and 5 in 15 seasons. The next most is by Oscar Robertson who did that 8 times. LeBron won MVP 4 times when he should’ve won 7 or 8 more but the NBA and the media is too obsessed with MJ to make someone the new GOAT!
LeBron deserves the GOAT title more than anyone else. The game has changed, but I can argue LeBron would’ve done better if he played in Jordan’s era.
MJ’s Career Stats: 30.1 ppg 6.2 rpg and 5.3 apg while shooting 49.7% and 32.7% from 3
Kobe’s Career Stats: 25.0 ppg 5.2 rpg and 4.7 apg while shooting 44.7% and 32.9% from 3
The GOAT’s Career Stats: 27.1 ppg 7.4 rpg and 7.4 apg while shooting 50.4% and 34.4% from 3
Jordan may be the greatest scorer of all time, but he is not the greatest basketball player of all time.
Maybe Jordan is number 2 all time, but the argument between Kobe and MJ is a lot closer than LeBron vs Everyone Else!
If you want to hear more about how I feel about MJ v LBJ read the article written by Harris Reimer and I where we discuss that the GOAT is more than just how many rings you have.
-Max S
Max's Sports Blog 