LeBron vs. Jordan is a subject that’s widely debated among basketball fans. This generational debate has people passionately taking both sides.

First, what makes someone the greatest of all time in a sport like basketball is being a great all-around player, but most importantly, being a winner — not just in the regular season but in the playoffs.

With that being said, Jordan has statistically won more, with a 65.9% win rate, while LeBron is just behind with a 64.4% win rate. It is noted that LeBron has played more games than Jordan and is still playing.

Next are awards and accolades. 

Jordan has four Most Valuable Player awards, one Defensive Player of the Year award, Rookie of the Year, three-time All-Star MVP, six-time NBA Finals MVP, 11 All-NBA Team selections and nine All-Defensive Team selections.

While LeBron and Jordan share four MVPs and Rookie of the Year, LeBron’s accolades are both greater in volume and less in impact at the same time. LeBron does have more All-Star Game appearances, but of course, that’s spread across many more seasons than Jordan. LeBron is also a 13-time All-NBA Team selection, has four NBA Finals MVPs, and is the all-time scoring leader in NBA history.

Lastly, there’s playoff success. Jordan is famously known for being 6-0 in the NBA Finals and for beating some of the best competition to win championships, often with less talent than his opponents and even teams LeBron played on. 

However, there is some controversy about Jordan’s earlier years, during which he lost in the first round of the playoffs to some of the greatest teams ever assembled.

LeBron has had a rockier playoff career. While he’s reached the Finals 10 times and rarely had first-round exits, he has only won four championships, despite playing with arguably the greatest “big three” in history with the Miami Heat.

So, who’s better to the younger basketball fan?

It’s understandable why LeBron is the best choice. 

However, Jordan’s pure dominance, superior accolades in a shorter career and stronger competition in playoff basketball make Michael Jordan the right choice for the greatest basketball player of all time.