Michael Jordan: ‘No Question’ I Could Beat LeBron James 1-On-1 In My Prime

August 11, 2025

NBA icons LeBron James and Michael Jordan at the 2022 All-Star Game — Getty Images

NBA legend Michael Jordan said there’s “no question” he could beat LeBron James 1-on-1 during his prime.

Jordan said this back in 2015.

It’s been a while since Jordan has spoken publicly. One of the last times we can remember was back in 2020 when the NBA icon was in Paris with the Charlotte Hornets.

During his press conference, one NBA reporter asked Jordan about the James comparisons.

“He’s an unbelievable player,” Michael Jordan said about LeBron James. “He’s one of the best players in the world, if not the best player in the world. I know it’s a natural tendency to compare eras to eras and it’s gonna continue to happen. I’m a fan of his. I love watching him play.

“But as you can see, our league is starting to expand on very talented players. And I think he’s made his mark. He will continue to do so over a period of time, but when you start the comparisons, I think it is what it is. It’s just a standard of measurement. I take it with a grain of salt. He is a heck of a basketball player without a doubt.”

The GOAT debate between Jordan and James is among the most discussed topics in basketball discourse. It’s ugly because Jordan fans bash James to uplift MJ and James fans rip Jordan to praise LeBron.

Jordan averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.8 blocks with the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards during his NBA career. He won five MVPs, one Defensive Player of the Year Award, six championships, six Finals MVPs, three steals titles and 10 scoring titles with the Bulls.

Meanwhile, James enters next NBA season with career averages of 27.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers. He’s a four-time MVP, a four-time champion, a four-time Finals MVP, a one-time scoring champion and a one-time assists champion.

Jordan is first in NBA history in points per game. He holds the NBA record for most points (63) scored in a playoff game. His Airness went 6-0 in the NBA Finals and three-peated twice with the Bulls in the ’90s.

James, who grew up idolizing Jordan, is first in NBA history in points. He’s the only player to rank top five all-time in points and assists, the only player to win three Finals MVPs with three teams, the only player with 40,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 career assists and the only player to score 50,000 points combining the regular season and playoffs.

Jordan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009, while James will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer once he retires from the NBA.