Sports are competitive, so it's natural for players and fans to Debate on which player claims the title "the greatest ever". People debate this topic in all sports, as nobody is content with having multiple greats, they want one player to have the shine and be dubbed the greatest.
This couldn't be more true about the LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan debate. Both players have proven in their careers that they are the best players to ever play, but many people want to pit the players against each other and debate which one is the best of all-time.
There is no need for this debate as we will never know the true answer because the era they played in was different and their play styles aren't the same.
Different eras, different dominance
LeBron James and Michael Jordan played in the NBA in different eras so you really can't compare them because the game was different for both players when they played.
For Michael Jordan, he played in an era where toughness was the name of the game. There were hard fouls on most occasions, there were mini-scuffles after every dead whistle, and there was more toughness in the game. Jordan was thrown around and battered by teams, especially the "Bad Boy" Pistons of the late 80s and early 90s.
Jordan had to be tougher in the paint when he went to score and he usually didn't end up with many and-one opportunities. He was fighting through hard screens on defense, so he had to work harder to stop his opponent from scoring.
Jordan played in a more physical era which caused him to change his game and dominant in a way that catered to his play style and the era he played in.
LeBron plays in a more cautious era than Jordan. Fouls are called more frequently, even for the slightest of touches on a player. LeBron has built his body to where he can take a light slap on the wrist and still convert the bucket for and-one plays.
This is also the era of shooters, so James was able to make shots and not have to worry about getting hit around in the paint. The NBA has taken a more cautious approach with its players and that has worked in James' favor.
His body is strong and he shows dominance by taking advantage of the ticky-tack fouls and making sure he finishes plays because he knows a foul is coming afterward.
These eras are completely different so you can't compare both players because how they played was based on the era.
We play different
James and Jordan play the game differently so comparing them in that aspect isn't fair to either of them. Michael Jordan was a player who wanted to score the ball for his team. His former teammate Scottie Pippen called him a "more hungry" scorer when compared to LeBron and that is a fair assessment.
Jordan had the killer instinct when it came to scoring the ball, and he wanted to get his shot and dominate you like that. Jordan main focus was beating his opponent by taking his will, which meant scoring on them as much as he can. Many players try to emulate that same mentality, but none have come close to mirroring Jordan.
LeBron's play style is more of a team oriented approach. LeBron is a player who when he is on the court he makes his entire team better. James mentality is pass first to get his teammates involved and he will get his shot when it is time.
James like to see his team succeed before himself and that's a play style many players try to emulate as well. James' high basketball IQ about the game make him an even harder player to defend. This isn't saying Jordan didn't make his teammates better because he did. This is just saying LeBron's play style is centered around his teammates as Jordan's play style was more towards having that killer instinct scoring the ball.
The debate on whether LeBron or MJ was better shouldn't be a debate.
Comparing their greatness isn't fair to them, as they are great in their respective ways. Both players dominated whenever they took the court and their teams have had great success.
What fans should do is appreciate each player individually for what they brought to the game and not get caught up in trying to figure out which one is better. Enjoy the players for who the are, not for what you think they should be.
