{"id":30775,"date":"2020-05-04T12:29:33","date_gmt":"2020-05-04T16:29:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/?p=30775"},"modified":"2020-05-04T12:29:33","modified_gmt":"2020-05-04T16:29:33","slug":"michael-jordan-or-lebron-james-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2020\/05\/04\/michael-jordan-or-lebron-james-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael Jordan or LeBron James: The Greatest of All-Time, Part Two"},"content":{"rendered":"

Michael Jordan<\/a><\/b> and\u00a0LeBron James<\/a><\/strong> have appeared in an eye-popping 15 NBA Finals combined in their historic careers. Jordan is undefeated with six wins and zero losses in the Finals. James, on the other hand, has a Finals’ record of three wins and six losses.<\/p>\n

The first part of The Greatest of All-Time <\/em>debate detailed each players’ top teammates<\/a>. Episodes five and six of The Last Dance\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>recently aired and highlighted a few of Jordan’s NBA Finals opponents. Comparing NBA Finals’ competition of James and Jordan is a worthy factor in determining who the greatest of all time is.<\/p>\n

Michael Jordan<\/strong> or LeBron James: Ranking NBA Finals’ Opponents<\/strong><\/h2>\n

15 – 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Record – 47-19
\nOffensive Rating – 109.8
\nDefensive Rating – 103.2
\nNet Rating – 6.6<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The 2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a> had the talent to spare. The problem was, they were still too young. They employed a 23-year-old Kevin Durant<\/a><\/strong>, 23-year-old\u00a0Russell Westbrook<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a022-year-old\u00a0James Harden<\/a><\/strong>, and 22-year-old\u00a0Serge Ibaka<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Durant led the team in scoring that season at 28 points per game and in rebounding as he snatched 8 per contest. Westbrook was the team leader in helpers at 5.5 assists per night.<\/p>\n

James, alongside Dwyane Wade<\/a> <\/strong>and Chris Bosh<\/a><\/strong>, won their first title together against a team that was perhaps a year or two too early as they took down the Thunder in five games.<\/p>\n

14 – 2011 Dallas Mavericks<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Record – 57-25
\n<\/strong>Offensive Rating – 109.7
\n<\/strong>Defensive Rating – 105
\n<\/strong>Net Rating – 4.7<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The loss in six games to the Dallas Mavericks<\/a> is perhaps James’ biggest career blemish. Although the world was able to witness one of the greatest performances in NBA Finals history by Dirk Nowitzki<\/a><\/strong>, the Heat should haven ever lost to this outmatched, at least on paper, team.<\/p>\n

Nowitzki led the team in scoring that season at 24.2 points per game. Tyson Chandler<\/a><\/strong>, who was huge, defensively, in the Finals, led them in rebounding with 12.1 per night. 37-year-old\u00a0Jason Kidd<\/a><\/strong> was the leading assist man at 8.9 per game.<\/p>\n

13 – 2013 San Antonio Spurs<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Record – 58-24
\n<\/strong>Offensive Rating – 108.3<\/strong>
\nDefensive Rating – 101.6
\n<\/strong>Net Rating – 6.7<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The 2012-13 San Antonio Spurs<\/a> came within a few made free throws and a miraculous three on the other end by\u00a0Ray Allen<\/a><\/strong> of winning the 2013 NBA championship in six games. Instead, those missed free throws by\u00a0a 21-year-old\u00a0Kawhi Leonard<\/a><\/strong> and the made three by Allen allowed the series to get to a Game 7, where the Heat would capture their second consecutive title.<\/p>\n

Tony Parker<\/a><\/strong>, who was phenomenal in the Finals, led the team in scoring that season at 20.3 points per game.\u00a0Tim Duncan<\/a><\/strong> was the leading rebounder at 9.9 each night. Parker also led the team in assists at 7.6 per game.<\/p>\n

12 – 1992 Portland Trail Blazers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Record – 57-25
\n<\/strong>Offensive Rating – 111.4
\n<\/strong>Defensive Rating – 104.2<\/strong>
\nNet Rating – 7.2<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The first of Jordan’s six Finals’ opponents checks in at number 12, the 1991-92 Portland Trail Blazers<\/a>. Jordan noted, in\u00a0The Last Dance<\/em> that he and TrailBlazer All-Star Clyde Drexler<\/a><\/strong> were being discussed as the top players in the game and that he “took offense to that.”<\/p>\n

Jordan went on to note that “he went after Clyde every possession.” Drexler was fantastic during that season in which he led Portland in scoring at 25 points per game and assists at 6.7 each night.\u00a0Buck Williams<\/a><\/strong> led the team in rebounding as he corralled 8.8 rebounds per game.<\/p>\n

The Chicago Bulls<\/a> would go on to win the Larry O’Brien trophy in six games against a very game Portland team.<\/p>\n

11 – 1993 Phoenix Suns<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Record – 62-20
\n<\/strong>Offensive Rating – 113.3<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Defensive Rating – 106.7
\n<\/strong>Net Rating – 6.6<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The 1992-93 NBA MVP award went to Phoenix Suns<\/a> forward\u00a0Charles Barkley<\/a><\/strong>. Jordan admitted in The Last Dance<\/em> that he was upset it by that but said, “fine, you take that, I’m gonna take this (the NBA Title).”<\/p>\n

That was the beauty of Jordan, he always found a way to motivate himself to rise above everyone else. It’s not that Barkley wasn’t deserving of the MVP award, he led the Suns in scoring (25.6 per game) and rebounding (12.2 per game). While he didn’t lead the team in assists, he dished out 5.1 helpers per night, which were only behind Kevin Johnson<\/a><\/strong> and his 7.8 each game. Barkley also led the Suns to the best record in the NBA that season.<\/p>\n

The Bulls closed the Suns out in six games.<\/p>\n

10 – 1991 Los Angeles Lakers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Record – 58-24
\nOffensive Rating – 112.1
\nDefensive Rating – 105
\nNet Rating – 7.1<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Jordan’s first title came against\u00a0the\u00a0Magic Johnson<\/a>–<\/strong>led\u00a0Los Angeles Lakers<\/a>. It had to be gratifying for Jordan to win the NBA championship against Johnson and\u00a0James Worthy<\/a><\/strong> and officially have the torched passed to him. With that being said, the Lakers were not even the best team Jordan and the Bulls beat that postseason. Finally knocking off the Detroit Pistons<\/a> to reach the NBA Finals was the hurdle they had been stuck trying to get over for a few years.<\/p>\n

The Bulls knocked off the Lakers in five games. Los Angeles was led in scoring that season by Worthy at 21.4 points per game. Johnson, as expected, was the leader in assists at 12.5 per game.\u00a0Vlade Divac<\/a><\/strong> helped to hold down the middle as he was the team’s best rebounder as he averaged 8.1 rebounds per game.<\/p>\n

9 – 2007 San Antonio Spurs<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Record – 58-24
\n<\/strong>Offensive Rating – 109.2
\n<\/strong>Defensive Rating – 99.9
\n<\/strong>Net Rating – 9.3<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The 2006-07 Cleveland Cavaliers were not expected to get anywhere near the NBA Finals. The second leader for the Cavaliers that season, behind James, was\u00a0Larry Hughes<\/a><\/strong> at just 14.9 per game. It also took an otherworldly performance against the Eastern Conference favorites to get there.<\/p>\n