NBA: LeBron vs. Jordan

John Salley, Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith debate Charles Barkley's comments that LeBron James could be better than Michael Jordan. Watch more videos like this at www.espnamerica...

[@randymarsh6931]

John Salley literally predicted the future saying that social media would elevate LeBron

[@andrewgriffith78]

John Salley needs smacked upside his head. LeBron is great. no question. Michael was greater....

[@sethboooooi23245]

A.G.G. PRODUCTIONS He wasn’t wrong about anything he said..Lebron is a better athlete than MJ. He’s not a better basketball player, all John said was he could be

[@chuyozuna2398]

Fast forward to 2023, MJ had the better career but LeBron is the better overall player

[@natitekle5483]

John really hates Jordan!!!

[@mikekirkland2487]

Nati Tekle I don't see why. MJ is the reason why John can say he has 4 rings instead of 2.. lol

[@natitekle5483]

@Big Mike2014 He was also part of the pistons that got swept by Jordan as Pistons as the defending champs. The whole Pistons hated Jordan.

[@mikekirkland2487]

Nati Tekle I guess John still feels a certain way about that all these years later!

[@natitekle5483]

Big Mike2014 I think so. Even before this statement, he said other players like Bird and Magic are better than Jordan. Everything is debatable but John has gone out of his way a couple of times to discredit MJ.

[@edoybelmonte1981]

I think only Rodman believe that MJ is better than LBJ from all of this PESTON BAD BOYS'😂😂😂

[@88smjls]

Jordan was the best offensive and defensive player in the league longer then anyone ever has been.

[@blackedkelly9314]

I’d say James is better on D

[@shxdow6405]

No Michael Jordan is not the greatest offensive player and defensive player stop the 🧢

[@Gandalf_lion]

It is true. LeBron might be one of the best offensive players but not defensive

[@fullmetal1766]

​@@blackedkelly9314 that is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard

[@Apwolsopcjrhei]

@@shxdow6405 Not the GOAT defender, but he’s probably the GOAT offence player especially from 89-91 You couldn’t stop him. He could shoot from anywhere so you can’t make a wall like they did for Lebron He could pass good averaged 7 assists in the playoffs from 89-91 and 8 assists in 89. Shot the ball efficient af around 54%. Barely turned over the ball Almost 0 weaknesses on offence. He was a great defender but not the GOAT

[@p.bi1179]

LeBron vs Jordan was going on in 2012. It's 2024 & LeBron has basically quadrupled his resume lmao.

[@nihilmatic4098]

Mike played 9 seasons, 3rd in all time scoring with 30k points? Lebron has played 11 seasons, not even close to mike in scoring

[@Ali-vk6jm]

This comment did not age well. Lebron is on pace to break the all time record. But with all this coronavirus shit it has set him back a bit.

[@renzo2k20]

Lebron #1 Next Season lol

[@dparks2856]

9 seasons?

[@coltonk1234]

What skip meant by 7 championships and 7 finals MVP is that is the only way he could come close to MJ. He knows MJ's stats and what he did.

[@bradgaines]

Why the hell are they asking John Salley about this? That's like asking Satan his opinion of Jesus.

[@eek8605]

He never said anything biased he just talked about what could happen

[@chris14487]

Once a piston, always a piston! (yeah, I know salley played on the 96' Bulls) Isaiah, Salley, & laimbeer will go to their graves pissed at MJ for killing their dynasty! In doing so they'll always point out they beat him twice enroute to winning their 2 titles even though he didn't have much help! MJ buried detroit in 91' & they never challenged him again!

[@kevingraddy4799]

USCG BMCM retired they swept him twice they weren’t mad 😭😭 once he got help him and his team were unstoppable

[@mikekirkland2487]

Oh please! the east is weak/soft as a twinkie right now & it has been for many years. Why do all of you think the Cavs keep going back to the finals? How many of you notice when the Cavs play a team from the west, they get their a** whooped? The east was tough as sh** during MJ's era & he was playing against many hall of famers in their prime & doing his thing too. Oh yea, the '90s were watered down. The Knicks, Pacers, Magic(Shaq & Penny), The Rockets, Spurs Suns, Lakers (shaq & Kobe), Jazz(malone & stockon)etc these teams were title contenders & had a good regular seasons records too. Nowadays, teams in the east going to the playoffs with a 30-50 record being ranked 5th or 6th seed. If there is ever a time the league is watered down it's now! PLEASE, give me a break. I'll bet any team from '90s would wipe the floor with any team today!

[@jayswrld2317]

Wowww don't act like mj didn't go to the playoffs w 30+ wins. LeBron played a good Chicago team a great Pacers team , a 60 win Atlanta team and Celtics.

[@erikmerced6329]

@@jayswrld2317 dude, Larry Bird was highly impressed with Jordon even after sweeping the Bulls in the 1st round in his first few years in the league. LeBron is a better athlete not a better player. 2011 kills his chances and 2017 showed how weak hearted he is. 2007 was incredible though

[@dummy4794]

@@erikmerced6329 weak hearted? I think u meant to say kd

[@erikmerced6329]

@@dummy4794 I mean KD is definitely weak hearted. More so than LeBron or I thought until I saw him hit that dagger in front of him. I think LeBron is definitely top 5 all time, KD isn't close. I only meant compared to Larry Bird, Kobe, Jordon, etc that LeBron is not a killer

[@dummy4794]

@@erikmerced6329 LeBron may not be a so called "killer" but hes definitely better than Bird and kobe

[@dathoang2692]

he said lebron more skill than MJ. wth

[@chrisalvare]

Pippen developed under Jordan's watch Jordan was his coach mentor.

[@albertedmond9134]

Chitown_BloodGang51 Jordan needed to mentor himself bc he was 1-9 without him

[@Huesos138]

Jordan's entire week would be ruined if he lost a game of peekaboo to his damned kids. James doesn't quite have that mentality, which is why he will probably not accomplish as much in his career. Moreover, though James can do most of the things Jordan could do in terms of athleticism and talent, he doesn't make it look quite as good. Besides power, Jordan had a lot of grace and elegance.

[@KDH901]

Has your opinion changed,

[@mg19cal]

Imagine a grown man being mad at losing peekaboo to a kid.......and people APPLAUDING him for reacting so petty to it 🤔🤔

[@xicojonas]

lol.. according to some people's reasoning, Robert Horry would be better than Jordan, Magic, Bird, Kobe, Shaq, LeBron, Isaiah etc.. Greatness is not measured in rings, but it does add to it and it just elevates Michael that much higher above the rest

[@bighare08]

Well said Mr Vasquez!

[@mg19cal]

Watching Skip go into meltdown when someone shoots down his MJ narratives is ALWAYS a good watch

[@mg19cal]

@@darrel7589 players have more rings than Jordan. Players have multiple DPOY awards and Jordan doesn't. Jordan isn't the all time scoring leader

[@Juiceprofits]

Here after brons 4th ring & yes he’s my goat

[@Juiceprofits]

@The Zoom cry more

[@MH-dt4ib]

bubble goat?

[@Juiceprofits]

@@MH-dt4ib nba GOAT

[@MH-dt4ib]

@@Juiceprofits lol by no metric can he be considered the goat he spent his whole career team hopping, giving him the luxury of having cap space and tons of assets to instantly build a contender or super team, and STILL accomplished less, in more time. sorry lol just doesn't stack up. i get he's your fav player, and he's a legend - but not the GOAT

[@kapo2012fb]

What 4th ring 💍 ... the pandemic champion

[@SummerAwe99]

why do you make up all your stats?

[@willycast80]

Cm guys i though you are professional LJ is not a finisher and on top that everytime you was waching MJ play you had that filling the he was going to do someting different and he got more skills then LJ.

[@smokin9ball]

MJ is MJ and Lebron is Lebron

[@VERDEPLAYS22]

lebron wont be a better individual player than mj. But as a complete player i'd say he is. Mj is better than lebron because look at mj career stats he outnumbers lbj in Scoring titles, defensive mvp, more mvp titles, finals mvps, ect.

[@gimpyjwilliams]

SPLASHBrotha202 yea but lebron has more records and is shattering mj records plus mj always had a better team, up until lebron was on the heat

[@Marqu3sTUBE]

They also played way more games back then

[@VERDEPLAYS22]

yeah looking at it now I agree that LeBron is overall a better complete player

[@itsnotrhenlopez7626]

john salley dont understand how great mj was..look at steve kerr interview in open court mj is better shooter in post up freethrow..do you think lebron can play his game in mj era..do you think he can break the badboys defense..In 1998 finals utah was more powerfull than bulls but mj finds a way to counter that..that was a great mentality...

[@DawkinsDenver20]

NO WHERE FUCKING CLOSE!!!!

[@88smjls]

LeBron missed the playoffs his first 2 years no one mentions that. Jordan never missed the playoffs.

[@shxdow6405]

88smjls lmaoooo the nigga went to the playoffs for 15 straight years get out of here with that bullshit analogy

[@aripereira8936]

LeBrons team had a better record tho Jordan’s teams won like 30 games but still made it

[@demarr5811]

1-9 bitch

[@cvnair1839]

@@demarr5811 How?

[@dparks2856]

His last 2 seasons in DC

[@SincereSentinel]

Jordan and Kobe were far more talented and skilled than Lebron.

[@ronaldcarter298]

JORDAN BEAT EVERYONE HE CAME ACROSS AFTER HE FIGURED IT OUT.... AFTER HE WON AND FIGURED IT OUT IT.... HE NEVER LOST AGAIN... AND SEEN A GAME 7 ONCE AGAINST INDIANA.... ONCE..

[@eek8605]

I dont think you can use mental attributes to be the goat, wilt chamberlain top 5 all time and to people like karl malone, clyde frazier etc. Hes the goat but he wasnt killer like mj or the black mamba. If you can still make the plays in those moments you dont need the will. 2 totally different play styles lbj comes out feeling the game out see how its gonna play and mj comes out like bih imma smack u in the mouth

[@gideonsuitebread]

No! Lebron is Lebron and Mj is "The Best."

[@dgmgneco1516]

MICHAEL JORDAN PLAYED IN A STRONGER LEAGUE WITH MORE TALENT - JORDAN IS THE BEST ON THE COURT.PLEASE STOP DISRESPECTING JORDAN .

[@ProgressiveMovement200]

He played against less talented players, Magic and Bird were old. The best college player, who was better then Jordan died, Len Bias. Jordan was playing against lesser talented teams.

[@jayfrancelf]

CMON SON

[@SummerAwe99]

do you just regurgiate shit you hear on espn?

[@bobtwista]

Robert Horry has 7 rings lol

[@itsnotrhenlopez7626]

C9_Revelator robert horry in his 7 rings. is he the finals mvp?scotie pippen has have 6ring also..the question is who dominate to get those rings?

[@bobtwista]

No it's not, the question is who has the most rings, n Bill Russell has what? 13? And he was the most dominant player on his team lol, so mj just cannot be anything except one of the best pure scorers. Not even the best clutch player cuz that was Jerry wears title lol

[@bobtwista]

I mean be real with it, mj isn't the best rebounder, not the best defender, not the best clutch, not the best dribbler, not the best passer, and if professional sports weren't rigged and David stern didn't tell the refs to protect him there's no way he even gets 4-5 of those rings. Nor is he dominant in the one or two that he wld have got. Shit without pippen, he never gets to the finals let alone the 3-4 other Allstars involved. While Lebron led a raggity ass cavs team to the finals by himself. Lebron is the most dominant athlete in the nba since shaq. And dominant in spite of the refs instead of with their aid.

[@mrdhoki]

looks*

[@homeskilletbiscuit49]

Lebron and Michael both have 0.8 blocks per game. Dead even. They both shoot 49% from the field (MJ is SLIGHTLY better with 49.7% to Lebron's 49.0%) but Lebron shoots 33.7% from 3 while Jordan shoots 32.7% from 3. So they are almost dead even in scoring ability. MJ has more ppg because he takes more shots. And MJ briefly played in the hardest era (the early-mid 80's) but the 90's were arguably the weakest era. Especially from a shooting guard standpoint

[@cupfullofhealin]

Whaaaaat??? The 90s was weak??? 🤣🤣 You smoking that good shit aint you?

[@brandan5732]

@@cupfullofhealin yes it was fking weak lol. U have 6 mans in all star games

[@TheSands83]

He’s best friends with a rapper? Yep that’s goat forget 6 rings

[@itsnotrhenlopez7626]

stephen smith is right not rings but who dominates to get the rings

[@psc93krp]

BLASPHEMY !!!

[@PoorlyDrawn_Comics]

Because Jordan never left to play baseball, never played for the wizards, never retired then decided never mind.

[@ronsmith9594]

He did play for the wizards at the last of his career before he retired

[@chuyozuna2398]

Yet LeBron never left his team to play baseball

[@HandsomeBoyGarion]

Jordan is better then lebron

[@EatSleepIceHockey]

LJ is not a finisher. what????? did u even watch the 2011-2012 season and playoffs?

[@AndresPerez-bi9cd]

Would jordan fold vs a dallas? Idk. Lol. But he folded vs orlando magic the year he came back from retirement. Oooooh ya forgot about that? He lost to the magic. Magic played the rockets that year in the finals. I don't wanna hear its cause he only played half a season cause he finished scoring 55 on the Knicks right b4 the playoffs started. So. Lol.

[@chitownfinest3824]

Andres Perez he came back the next year and swept orlando and won his fourth title so your comment is invalid

[@AndresPerez-bi9cd]

Jerail Powell na broski. Jordan came back from retirement and bulls made it to playoffs and faced orlando. The bulls lost. That's the year orlando faced rockets in finals. You need to do some research buddy. Idgaf what jordan won the next year. He folded vs orlando. But they say he doesn't fold. If he's the greatest of the greatest why didn't the bulls run thru orlando? Why did he only make it to 6 finals in his whole career? Lol.

[@homeskilletbiscuit49]

Almost every single one of your things involved a scoring title or steal title. That's what MJ is better than LBJ at. Lebron is a better passer, rebounder and an equally EFFICIENT scorer. as they shoot the same %s. MJ just takes more shots. And all of your MJ stats are wrong. Look up the stats again. 30 ppg, NOT 32.2 ppg. 49.7 fg% NOT 51.4% and I'm too lazy to look up all the other stats you probably got wrong

[@tysonjones8584]

lebrons competitive, hes just not a dick he knows that he has to go out there and talk to the media and he wants to look good on tv just like evryone should want to look

[@gideonsuitebread]

Yeah Sally! But, Marino is not considered "The Best" either. Maybe in the top 20.

[@TheSands83]

Who doesn’t leave Cleveland? MArk price until he had to

[@homeskilletbiscuit49]

I never said he was the better athlete. I personally think they're about equal. MJ, higher jumping, and swifter (that's why he got so many steals), Lebron, taller, bigger, stronger. And Lebron is only 6'8 so those 2 inches shouldn't be getting a ton more boards especially with MJ's 4 foot standing vertical jump. And I think whatever site you checked didn't account for his 2 years on the Wizards. Overall career MJ has 30 ppg, 2.3 spg rather than 2.7 like this guy says,

[@NeverUnderestimate9]

Unreal, lebron is better then MJ are you guys kidding me. Lebron will never be better then kareem, wilt. Un fucking believable. Are we watching the same NBA games ? Kareem is probably the greatest player ever to play the game, but jordan has the edge for number 1 because of those epic playoff and finals games, he got better. Bigger the game the bigger her played. Lebron will never be better then mj, kareem, wilt these 3 are flat out better lebron cant touch them. And for the record Jordan made Scottie into who he was, reason I know this is anyone who played with jordan played better even statistically, lot of it was players fearing jordan, that's the animal he was. Lebron lovers since you guys like stats so much I'll give you some homework, look up jordans playoff and finals stats vs lebrons. These are the games that matter most and you will see how foolish you sound. This isint a debate and anyone who knows basketball and I dont mean knows how to play or the rules I'm talking KNOWS basketball will tell you even kareem and wilt were much better then lebron. As of now larry bird and magic are better then lebron, they were more clutch although that might change in the next couple of seasons lebron should surpass them if he stays healthy.

[@lnsaneZane]

Lmfao "who doesnt leave cleveland?"

[@1skate100]

Chicago - Scottie + Micheal = 6 rings. Miami - Wade + Lebron = still in process

[@MH-dt4ib]

it didn't work out like LeBron had hoped did it? lol

[@luckyt4638]

Stephen a smith shut skip down real quick 🤣🤣

[@homeskilletbiscuit49]

I know. Maybe a tough era for Centers... that's why I give Hakeem so much credit. But Jordan's 1on1 matchups as a guard in the 90's were favorable to Lebron's 1on1 matchups as a forward today

[@caydenphillips9812]

fun to look back on. Lebron is my goat but long as him and jordan are your top 2 i respect the opinion. i base it solely off who’s better at the sport, and i knew it was lebron after 2018

[@fullmetal1766]

lebron is probably 11th sir do some research

[@lukethomas4060]

I personally think, right now, MJ is better. But, the numbers, say that after LeBron and Michael both won 2 rings, LeBron was better. After LBJ won ring #2, he was 28. When MJ won #2 ring, he was 29. When LJ won his 2nd ring, he had won 4 MVP's, Michael 3. Michael had a winning percentage of .587 and LeBron had a percentage of .638. LeBron won 19 playoff series and Michael 15. And on top of that James had 9 playoff appearances and Jordan had 8. If LeBron keeps up, he'll most def surpass MJ.

[@hershelpogue1745]

Michael Jordan has two threepeats, and done what LeBron has never done won 6 finals mvps, with 6 scoring titles in the finals, stats are used to show how effective you were during the regular season not in the playoffs , and finals. Where Michael Jordan was dominant and elevated his game where LeBron James failed to perform at Michael Jordan's levels. The real difference is Michael Jordan the greatest of all Times, LeBron James just a great player with stats to talk about.

[@joshandreski360]

Michael Jordan was not a much better shooter than LeBron, look up their basic and advanced shooting averages. The stats don't lie

[@joshandreski360]

I have dementia? You need to go to the doctor to test your vision. When did I say that LeBron was the better shooter? I simply implied that the numbers are a lot closer than people think. Neither of them are shooters, they both were attack-the-basket scorers. Jordan's nickname was "His Airness" for god sakes.

[@remanedulan9286]

Josh Andreski the nickname of michael jordan. "the Airness" meants he is the g.o.a.t of all time,,,he is better than lebron!!!

[@albertedmond9134]

Reman Edulan who is the finals mvp naked after Jordan?

[@Shawn.Mathew]

Only shot LeBron has over Jordan is 3pt shooting, Jordan’s best year shooting from 3, the line was closer to the basket, but everything else like free throw shooting and mid range Jordan is clearly better

[@SummerAwe99]

stop being an mj homer

[@mrdhoki]

it doesnt matter how it look.numbers count.

[@ryanb01]

not better but the closest

[@homeskilletbiscuit49]

Almost everything you just said was wrong. MJ doesn't have more blocks per game.. wtf? He doesn't have better fg% either, they both have the same % from 2 point range and 3.

[@cvggjhjyhgff2511]

JOHN SALLEY IS TRUTH

[@hershelpogue1745]

John Sally is a joke that played the bench in the Bull's run for championships, was bitter over how dominant Michael Jordan was as a man of his size over bigger men. It frustrated John Sally allot that this guy was better than he was. They were so many jealous players that wanted Michael Jordan to lose. Michael Jordan refused to lose in those finals, he wanted it more than everyone else, and that's the truth. Bitter people hated Michael Jordan for being great, the greatest ever.

[@SummerAwe99]

please, pippen dragged jordan past the 1st round

[@SummerAwe99]

did you even watch MJ when he played? or just his highlights? MJ blocked more shots and had more steals because hes a guard for 1, and the game back then was faster, they had WAY more posessions. And no, MJ's era was NOT the most talented, it was an expansion era. the 80's was the most talented era, thats why MJ got bounced 1st round every year in it. 4/6 rings MJ won were against nobody teams... you cant just compare stats across eras.. lebron beats MJ in MANY areas. its not all ppg chump

[@shutterbugblues]

There is a lot riding on the Jordan marketing machine. People talk about Jordan’s multiple rings and MVPs as ultimate proof of his goat status, yet people forget that the goat talk was already being handed to Jordan when he only had ONE ring. Before that, Larry Bird and Isiah Thomas were schooling him one-on-one while he remained this great scorer who couldn’t win. How could that be? Jordan’s storybook megastar career began to change once the powers that be stepped in.

[@SummerAwe99]

finally someone who knows basketball, people saying MJ's era was the toughest - PLEASE

[@hershelpogue1745]

Anybody claiming they know better and being objective the has a negative spin on Michael Jordan don't know basketball, are is quite bias towards Michael Jordan because he has earned everything that he got. Nobody has been given something without earning it before. Until now, and that person is LeBron James. You doing comparisons without a real side by side comparisons of NBA records, achievements, accolades, accomplishments, in game performances, how he elevates himself and his teams to the next level, those mvps, and finals mvps all 6 six of them and he being the main reason why they won all six championships, his 10 scoring titles, his 3 steal titles, etc etc etc and a slew of other things, that has never been done by any other players but Michael Jordan. Making Michael Jordan the greatest of all times that nobody before are after him has ever even came close to doing half of what Michael Jordan has done in his career. So yes there bitter and bias opinions on every subject pertaining to the highest standards in NBA history Michael Jordan, that's why his name is mentioned in all categories of sports.

[@TheWoteke]

lebron is the best defender

[@smokin9ball]

Overall Lebron is a better player than Michael, no doubt....his career is far from over so stay tuned for what awaits us all