Did LeBron James overtake Jordan in the famous GOAT debate?

LeBron James continues to chase Michael Jordan into the hearts of basketball fans.

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• By winning his 4th NBA title, the first with the Lakers, LeBron James reopens the debate of the best player of all time with Michael Jordan.

• Thanks to his unparalleled longevity, James dominates Jordan in almost all statistical categories ... except the number of titles. 

• Still dominant at 35, James can still consider winning one or two titles with a franchise a priori well armed to bisse next season.

Franck Vogel undoubtedly let himself go a little in the euphoria of the moment.

But by launching that LeBron James was "the greatest player the universe has ever seen," coming out of the 17th NBA league title won by the Lakers at the expense of Miami last night, the Angelinos coach was the first to put a coin in the eternal controversy of Valladolid around the best player in the history of a discipline. 

The famous debate of the

, which agitated many people Sunday between the victory of Nadal at Roland and the title of LeBron with LA.

Is the latter finally up to SAS Michael Jordan?

Without taking a stand to avoid making too many enemies,

tries to be LeBron James' advocate in the GOAT court.

Champion and MVP with three different franchises

By triumphing with a third franchise in 2020 after Miami and Cleveland, LeBron James has not succeeded strictly speaking an unprecedented feat, since they are four, including his teammate Danny Green, to have their napkin ring in this small select club (with Robert Horry and John Salley).

But all the players mentioned are only complements, while James is each time the dominant player of his team, the first to have ever been crowned MVP of the Finals with both Miami (2012, 2013), Cleveland (2016) , and the Lakers (2020).

The #NBAxESPN has a Rey ... que será eterno.

Ayer, hoy y siempre.

pic.twitter.com/gUi2oXqXhp

- SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) October 12, 2020

Especially, if we put aside the Florida experience, where James joined a "super team" already made up of Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, the Akron kid did not choose only paper challenges.

Before him, Cleveland was best known for being the city to lose in all sports, and it can't be said that LeBron was surrounded by the crème de la crème when he returned to Ohio.

Same thing when he joined LA in 2018. The franchise is in tatters and is going through the worst drought in its history, accumulating the seasons to 20-25 wins to break everything.

It took hardly two years for James, certainly reinforced by the arrival of Anthony Davis, to rebuild the Lakers into a team of winners.

LeBron James' playoff resume:

👑 Games played: 258 (2nd)

👑 Games missed: 0

👑 Minutes played: 10,728 (1st)

👑 Points scored: 7,423 (1st)

👑 Assists: 1,854 (2nd)

👑 Closeout Win percentage: 79.2% ( 1st)

(📸: Los Angeles Lakers | Kirk Goldsberry) pic.twitter.com/tNzzdXjm1z

- Gracious Wood (@gracious_wood) October 12, 2020

Finally, it should also be noted that James has had the feat of a career since he carried the first team in history capable of recovering a 3-1 handicap in the NBA Finals against what observers then considered to be the most complete group in the history of the game, the Warriors of Curry.

This had earned James a bit of fire at the time:

“I was super excited to win a title for Cleveland after the 52-year shortage.

I was like in ecstasy.

The first wave of emotion that day was when everyone saw me cry, it was for the 52 years of sport in Cleveland.

And after I quit, I was like, 'This is what makes you the best player ever.'

This is what I felt.

"

A sentence that had provoked epidermal reactions, in particular that of Shaq: "Winning six finals without losing one, without an interior worthy of the name, by having taken a sabbatical to then achieve a hat-trick, certainly makes Jordan the best", O'Neal had ruled at the time.

We haven't heard the old hub of the house since Sunday evening.

More impressive on pure statistics

Another argument put forward by the supporters of James, when refusing the status of "Goat" to their favorite: seven times in history a player has managed at least 500 points, 150 rebounds, 150 assists in the playoffs.

James, six times (2007, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020), Larry Bird (Boston) in 1987. Americans are fond of statistics, and in this regard, it's hard to deny that LeBron's longevity gives him a significant advantage over Jordan.

LeBron James, who is appearing in his 260th career playoff game tonight - which passes Derek Fisher (259) for the most all-time - has 22 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists - for his 28th career postseason triple-double, second only to Magic Johnson (30).

- Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 12, 2020

Take the playoffs: second in the number of games played (260) but first in terms of minutes on the floor, top scorer by far, second best passer, second in the number of triple doubles made just behind Magic Johnson, LJ is ahead of MJ on almost all the statistical categories that matter.

Jordan fans will retort that their protégé has never lost a final and that he sails far ahead with five best player titles of the regular season.

A point for them, but there is always a way to discuss.

If LeBron has lost six finals, each time against huge teams, they were only three before him to have played 10 NBA Finals in their life, including the huge Bill Russel and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

LeBron James has completed his 10th NBA Finals.

He joins Bill Russell (12), Sam Jones (11) and Kareem Abdul-Jabber (10) as the only players with 10 or more appearances.

Tonight, James also passed Derek Fisher for the most NBA playoff game played (260).

- Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) October 12, 2020

Clearly, there is no photo over time:

"I don't know, I'll let you talk about that," James answers.

What I can do is continue my commitment to the game. I put myself, my body and my mind in a position to be available to my teammates.

I have never missed a playoff game in my career.

And the best thing you can do for your teammates is to be available.

We want our respect, that's all.

Rob (Pelinka) wants his respect.

Coach (Frank) Vogel wants his respect.

Our frankness wants his respect.

The Laker Nation wants his respect… And I want my fucking respect too ”.

“And I want my damn respect too.” @ KingJames on winning the 2019-20 Finals MVP.

#NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/tsin7CdEqh

- NBA TV (@NBATV) October 12, 2020

More committed to social issues

It's when you step out of the field a little that you have to recognize in LeBron a form of societal fullness that Jordan has never claimed.

The mythical rear of the Bulls has well built a unique business around his name, still visible on the PSG jersey today, he has never taken a position on the problems of racism that divided America during his time. playing career, when James is an important spokesperson.

The Lakers star used the resumption of the NBA season to echo the Black Live Matters movement, and he stuck with it to the end, including after the win over Miami.

“It's a sacred responsibility to tell yourself that there are so many people who need this inspiration, who need this hope, who are counting on you, and that you have to rise to the occasion every day.

But I accepted that and I want to make people proud.

When I talk about people, I talk about my community, people who grew up in the same places as me, all these women and men who feel forgotten in this society for too long, these people who felt like no one didn't pay attention to them.

Being able to talk about social injustice, restriction of the right to vote, and police brutality to all these people is more important than what I achieve on the ground ”.

More generally, the social activism of James, who took up the expression "More Than An Athlete" has little equivalent in the League.

For example, he opened an “I Promise” school, which provides free education for underprivileged children in his hometown.

A notorious opponent of Donald Trump, James showed a political courage that Michael Jordan never seemed interested in.

The current owner of Charlotte has still pledged more than $ 100 million in donations in the wake of the Black Live Matters movement.

Bonus: his career is not over yet

35 years old was the age at which MJ won his last title with the Bulls, a 1998 season explored in all its corners thanks to the documentary The Last Dance seen on Netflix.

Except that LeBron did not plan to announce his end of career, far from it.

He is as dominant as at his beginnings physically, he improved his shooting mechanics, has never suffered THE big injury that makes you go down a step, like Kobe Bryant, in short the person concerned still gives himself good years basketball court in front of him.

pic.twitter.com/XZXWbx6EQK

- Lakers in 6 ➐ (@JustALeBronFan) October 12, 2020

“I don't know, I haven't set a limit for myself.

I know I still have many years left.

How much exactly that I don't know, but I know I can continue to play at the top level.

The decision will also depend a lot on my family, I have three children, one of whom is in second now, so this all comes into play as well.

But when it comes to basketball, I know I can play for a while ”.

If it seems difficult to see LBJ crush the competition until he is 40 years old, we can imagine that the boy knows how to count and that he only has two titles left to win to equal Jordan and give himself one last chance. overtake, at least on the charts.

However, unless Anthony Davis does not extend his contract, which seems unlikely, James can consider that he is playing with the best interior in the world, in a League where his successors like Doncic or Giannis have not yet reached maturity. or the team to bring it down.

If the Lakers can resign everyone, LeBron can see it coming.

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