LeBron vs. Jordan: Survey Says...

[Roundball_Rock]

ESPN did a survey of experts. Here are the results (in the order ESPN discussed them).

Tougher era: LeBron 64%, MJ 36%
Better teammate: Pippen 68%, Davis 32%
More accomplishments: LeBron 62%, MJ 38%
Greater accomplishment: 6 rings 72%, 10 finals 28%
Greater accomplishment: Two threepeats with same team 57%, chips with three teams 43%
Higher peak: MJ 82%, LeBron 18%
MJ is...: GOAT 62%, #2 32%, top 5 6%
LeBron is...: GOAT 23%, #2 55%, top 5 21%
Final # of titles for LeBron: Four 17%, Five 70%, Six 13%, Seven+ 0% (Avg. 4.95)
Rings LeBron needs to surpass MJ: Three 15%, four 15%, Five 11%, Six 28%, Seven 15%, LeBron can never surpass MJ 17%

The rings to surpass MJ has 30% putting him ahead of MJ now whereas 23% had LeBron as GOAT. The discrepancy is they included other players in the GOAT discussion.

Per this, if LeBron wins five 41% would put him ahead of MJ. 6 would break the dam and get LeBron to 69%.

Discussion of each question in the full article at https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...an-goat-status.

[Tobio-Star]

TL;DR
LeBron is the GOAT

[Kiddlovesnets]

Lebron has already lost the chance to be GOAT ever since he got swept by Spurs in 2007. MJ the reigning GOAT, has a 6/6 record in the Finals, a perfect 100% winning percentage in the finals. In order to match or surpass MJ, a perfect finals record is a necessary condition. Any players who have lost at least once in the NBA finals, are automatically disqualified from GOAT conversation. Lebron's ceiling is #2 all time, and he is already in the discussion after this title, another title should secure his #2 spot but this is as high as he will ever be.

[Meticode]

LeBron is #3 for me. He has the ability to make it #2, but unlikely he'll be GOAT because he's going to need 6 rings total to do it.

[MaxPlayer]

Lebron has already lost the chance to be GOAT ever since he got swept by Spurs in 2007. MJ the reigning GOAT, has a 6/6 record in the Finals, a perfect 100% winning percentage in the finals. In order to match or surpass MJ, a perfect finals record is a necessary condition. Any players who have lost at least once in the NBA finals, are automatically disqualified from GOAT conversation. Lebron's ceiling is #2 all time, and he is already in the discussion after this title, another title should secure his #2 spot but this is as high as he will ever be.

Maybe if you post this 1000 more times it will become true.

[Meticode]

Lebron has already lost the chance to be GOAT ever since he got swept by Spurs in 2007. MJ the reigning GOAT, has a 6/6 record in the Finals, a perfect 100% winning percentage in the finals. In order to match or surpass MJ, a perfect finals record is a necessary condition. Any players who have lost at least once in the NBA finals, are automatically disqualified from GOAT conversation. Lebron's ceiling is #2 all time, and he is already in the discussion after this title, another title should secure his #2 spot but this is as high as he will ever be.

It's subjective. I think he can pass MJ if he gets 6 rings and secures the all-time scoring title, but he'd have to win FMVP in those last two Finals as well. I think he'll make a secure #2. GOAT is unlikely unless the perfect storm happens. He'd have to play probably 3 more years at a high level, get two more rings with FMVPs in both, surpass Jabber in scoring...he'd be something like 38,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 10,000 assists which is insane.

[Kiddlovesnets]

Maybe if you post this 1000 more times it will become true.

It is true regardless of how many times I post this, just need to get the truth to the head of the delusional people who refuse to believe it.

[Meticode]

Maybe if you post this 1000 more times it will become true.

It's called an opinion.

[MaxPlayer]

It is true regardless of how many times I post this, just need to get the truth to the head of the delusional people who refuse to believe it.

So you're one of those people who thinks losing in the first round is better than winning your conference?

[MaxPlayer]

It's called an opinion.

It's called spam

[Roundball_Rock]

LeBron is #3 for me. He has the ability to make it #2, but unlikely he'll be GOAT because he's going to need 6 rings total to do it.

That is where most of the panel came down. If he finishes with 5, 41% would have him ahead of MJ (30% currently do). If he gets to 6 he not only gets a majority but a commanding majority of 69%.

Lebron has already lost the chance to be GOAT

Per the survey, 83% of expert respondents are open to him surpassing MJ. 2011 was not the "deal breaker" many wish it was.

[Goldrush25]

Lebron has already lost the chance to be GOAT ever since he got swept by Spurs in 2007

At the same age MJ was busy getting swept out of the first round when Lebron brought a group of vagabonds to the NBA finals, but ok.

MJ couldn't do a damn thing until he had the best team, and that's the unquestioned GOAT?

[Kiddlovesnets]

So you're one of those people who thinks losing in the first round is better than winning your conference?

It depends, to take a title contender team to lose in the first round is definitely more humiliating. However, MJ's first round exit happened when he was young and developing, also his team was nowhere near a title contender. Once MJ had a team capable of winning titles, he never lost. Lebron on the other hand, had title contender teams in all the finals he appeared except for 2007, and still went 4/9 even if you take out the first one.

[Vino24]

MJ lost his shot at being goat when he went 1-9 in the first round. Bill Russell shit on him 5 extra times.

[Roundball_Rock]

MJ couldn't do a damn thing until he had the best team, and that's the unquestioned GOAT?

That is the odd thing about the team success obsession in connection to MJ. If you put the best player on the best team with the best coach with no other great team in the era, what do people expect to happen? If you put Kareem or LeBron on the Bulls they dominate that era as well.