Michael Jordan won 6 NBA championships with a 6-0 Finals record and 5 MVPs, while LeBron James has 4 championships across 3 teams with 4 MVPs and holds the all-time scoring record with 40,000+ points. Jordan remains the statistical Finals performer, but LeBron's longevity and versatility across positions define different eras of basketball excellence.
LeBron James vs Michael Jordan — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
6-time NBA champion, 5-time MVP, considered by many as the greatest basketball player ever
4-time NBA champion, 4-time MVP, all-time leading NBA scorer with 40,000+ career points
NBA Championships. All-Time Points Scored. Regular Season MVPs. Finals MVP Awards. Career Longevity. All-Star Selections. Career Field Goal %
Michael Jordan edges LeBron in peak performance, championship perfection (6-0 Finals), and Finals MVP dominance, making him the statistically superior playoff performer. LeBron James surpasses Jordan in longevity, all-time scoring, and versatility across positions while maintaining elite performance over 20+ seasons. Choose Jordan as the GOAT if peak dominance and Finals perfection matter most; choose LeBron if sustained excellence and all-time scoring records define greatness.
Michael Jordan: 32,292 | LeBron James: 40,361
Michael Jordan: 5,633 assists | LeBron James: 10,452 assists
Michael Jordan: 6,672 | LeBron James: 10,921
Michael Jordan: 33.5 PPG | LeBron James: N/A
Michael Jordan: 83.4% | LeBron James: 73.5%
Michael Jordan: 32.7% | LeBron James: 34.5%
Michael Jordan: 6.2 RPG | LeBron James: N/A
Michael Jordan: 2.3 SPG | LeBron James: N/A
Michael Jordan: 6-0 (Perfect) | LeBron James: N/A
Michael Jordan: 1,071 games | LeBron James: N/A
Michael Jordan: 15 seasons (1984-2003) | LeBron James: N/A
Michael Jordan: 5 MVP awards | LeBron James: 4
Michael Jordan: 10 scoring titles | LeBron James: N/A
Michael Jordan: 13 All-Stars | LeBron James: 19 All-Stars
Michael Jordan: $3 billion+ | LeBron James: N/A
Michael Jordan: 37.1 | LeBron James: N/A
Michael Jordan: 30.1 | LeBron James: 27.2
Michael Jordan: 5 MVPs | LeBron James: 4 MVPs
Michael Jordan: 50.8% | LeBron James: 50.5%
Michael Jordan: 1,072 | LeBron James: 1,610
Michael Jordan: 32,292 points | LeBron James: 40,474 points
Michael Jordan: 5 MVP awards | LeBron James: 4 MVP awards
Michael Jordan: 5 DPOY awards | LeBron James: 1 DPOY award
Michael Jordan: 6 | LeBron James: 10 Finals (4 wins)
Michael Jordan: 32,292 | LeBron James: 40,511 points
Michael Jordan: 6 | LeBron James: 4 Finals MVPs
Michael Jordan: 9 selections | LeBron James: 6
Michael Jordan: 1.89 | LeBron James: N/A
Michael Jordan: 50.3% | LeBron James: 50.2%
Michael Jordan: 6 championships | LeBron James: 4 championships
Michael Jordan: 13 selections | LeBron James: N/A
Michael Jordan: 32,292 points | LeBron James: 40,361 points
Michael Jordan: 32,292 | LeBron James: 40,361 points
Michael Jordan: 33.4 PPG | LeBron James: 27.2 PPG
Michael Jordan: 30.1 | LeBron James: N/A
Michael Jordan: 65.4% | LeBron James: N/A
Michael Jordan: 33.4 | LeBron James: N/A
Michael Jordan: 37.1 (1986-87) | LeBron James: N/A
Michael Jordan: 100% | LeBron James: 40%
Michael Jordan: 10 | LeBron James: 10 selections
Michael Jordan: 33.4 | LeBron James: 28.7
Michael Jordan: 11.5 (6.2 RPG + 5.3 APG) | LeBron James: 17.9 (10.5 RPG + 7.4 APG)
Michael Jordan: 15 seasons | LeBron James: 21 seasons
Michael Jordan: 27.9% | LeBron James: 34.0%
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 1,295
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 27.2 PPG career (through 2026)
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 28.3 PPG (2025-26)
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 8.5 APG (2025-26)
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 8.3 RPG (2025-26)
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 4 MVPs
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 4 Championships
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 10 Finals appearances
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 4 Finals MVPs
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 66.7% TS% (2025-26)
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 23 seasons (2003-2026)
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 6'9" (206cm)
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 20 All-Star selections
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 31.4 PPG (2009-10)
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 21 seasons (2003-2024)
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 1 NBA Cup MVP
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 0 titles
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: Guard, Forward, Center (multi-position)
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 2003-2026 (modern 3-point era)
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 40,361
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 272.5
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 1,364
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 50.5%
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 34.5%
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 58.7%
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 6'9"
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 21 seasons
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 40% (4 of 10 Finals)
Michael Jordan: N/A | LeBron James: 19 (of 21)
How to choose between Michael Jordan and LeBron James
LeBron James vs Michael Jordan — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for LeBron James vs Michael Jordan. Contains 111 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
LeBron James vs Michael Jordan — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for LeBron James vs Michael Jordan.
Who is the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) in basketball?
Michael Jordan is statistically favored in peak performance metrics with a perfect 6-0 Finals record and 6 Finals MVPs, while LeBron James leads in all-time scoring (40,361 points), longevity (20 seasons of All-Star caliber), and sustained excellence. The answer depends on valuation criteria: Jordan for peak dominance, LeBron for career totals and consistency.
Why does LeBron have more points but fewer championships than Jordan?
LeBron played 20 seasons versus Jordan's 15, accumulating more scoring opportunities. Jordan's teams (1991-1998 Bulls) had a higher championship conversion rate with a perfect Finals record, while LeBron's 4 championships came across different eras and teams, resulting in 4-6 Finals record despite greater longevity.
Michael Jordan demonstrated superior Finals performance with a 6-0 record, 6 Finals MVPs, and 33.4 points per game average in Finals matchups. LeBron's 4-6 Finals record and 28.7 Finals PPG shows strong but less dominant Finals performance, particularly against Miami Heat (2014 loss) and Golden State Warriors (2015-2016).
Jordan's peak (1989-1993) featured 5 MVPs in 5 years with superior shooting percentages and scoring titles. LeBron's peak (2008-2014) showed more versatility across positions and playmaking ability, but Jordan's statistical dominance during his peak was higher by most advanced metrics.
Both were elite defenders. Jordan won 9 All-Defensive First Team selections and 1 Defensive Player of the Year, primarily defending guards. LeBron made All-Defensive teams 6 times and defended positions 1-5, providing more positional versatility but with slightly lower peak defensive intensity than Jordan's guard defense.
How to Choose Between Michael Jordan and LeBron James
NBA Championships: Michael Jordan has 6 titles (6-0 Finals record), while LeBron James has 4 titles (4-6 Finals record).
All-Time Points Scored: Michael Jordan has 32,292 points, while LeBron James has 40,361 points.
Regular Season MVPs: Michael Jordan has 5 MVPs, while LeBron James has 4 MVPs.
Finals MVP Awards: Michael Jordan has 6 Finals MVPs, while LeBron James has 4 Finals MVPs.
Career Longevity: Michael Jordan has 15 seasons (1984-1999, 2001-2003), while LeBron James has 20 seasons (2003-present).
All-Star Selections: Michael Jordan has 11 All-Star Games, while LeBron James has 19 All-Star Games (all 20 seasons).
Career Field Goal %: Michael Jordan has 50.8%, while LeBron James has 50.5%.