Michael Jordan Admitted He Was ‘A Fan’ Of LeBron James Amid Comparisons: ‘I Love Watching Him Play’

In 2020, NBA legend Michael Jordan admitted he was “a fan” of LeBron James amid the GOAT comparisons. 

Jordan and LeBron are universally recognized as the two best players in NBA history. 

“We played in different eras,” Jordan said. “He’s an unbelievable player. 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.”

Jordan has career averages of 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.8 blocks with the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards. He won five MVPs, one DPOY, six championships, six Finals MVPs and 10 scoring titles. 

Meanwhile, LeBron has career averages of 27.1 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 and a four-time Finals MVP.

Jordan is first in NBA history in points per game, fourth in steals, fifth in field goals and second in player efficiency rating. He holds the NBA record for most points (63) scored in a playoff game. 

LeBron, who grew up idolizing Jordan, is first in NBA history in points, fourth in assists, eighth in steals, second in field goals, eighth in 3-point field goals, fifth in triple-doubles, seventh in points per game and third in player efficiency rating.

LeBron is the only player in NBA history to rank top five all-time in points and assists, the only player to win three Finals MVPs with three different teams, the only player with 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists and the only player to score 40,000 points.