There is a big debate about who the greatest basketball player of all time is; it is said by most to be either Michael Jordan or LeBron James. James is better statistically, but Jordan is the better player in a game. James leads Jordan in career points, assists, blocks, rebounds, and higher field goals made percentag. Jordan has a higher points per game average, free throw percentage, and more steals. When it comes to accolades, Jordan has three more NBA championships, one more MVP title, three more finals MVP titles, three more all-defensive team selections, one more Defensive Player of the Year title, nine more scoring titles, and three more steals titles.  

In his career, Jordan faced a total oaidf nine hall of famers in the NBA Finals. On the otherhand, James has faced a total of 26 hall of famers in the NBA Finals. The toughest team that Jordan beat was the 1997 Utah Jazz, with a regular season record of 62-20. The toughest team that James beat was the 2015 Golden State Warriors, with a regular season record of 73-9, which is the best single-season record in NBA history. James has made the playoffs 13 times, and out of those 13 times, he has made it to the NBA Finals nine times. James did not lose in the first round and only lost the Eastern Conference Finals one time. Jordan made the playoffs 13 times as well, and out of his 13 playoff runs, Jordan made and won six NBA Finals and lost in the first round three times. Jordan lost in the Eastern Conference Finals three times. 

Freshman Matthew Loiselle said, “Jordan is the GOAT. I think this because it took a lot more to get to the basket and score back in the days when he played.” Freshman Eli Sherman said, “I think LeBron is an all-around better player and has much better competition to go against.” A lot of experts say this is like comparing apples to oranges because the league has gotten “soft” compared to when Jordan was in the prime of his career. This means that when Jordan played, there were less fouls called, players were more aggressive and physical, and there were more fights on the court. Today, fights lead to suspensions, more fouls are called in games, and playing more aggressive will get players a technical or flagrant foul.  

After reviewing the facts, there seems to be an answer to who the GOAT is. Jordan was a great player, but LeBron James’ stats prove that he is better than Jordan in almost every category. Jordan has tons of accolades, but at the end of the day, James can out do almost everything Jordan did. Therefore, LeBron James is simply the greatest NBA player in history.