LeBron is No. 1; Michael Jordan is 1A

I wrote about this just 14 months ago, as the just-finished, COVID-interrupted NBA season was about to start.

And now, with LeBron James winning his fourth Finals MVP, and with only Michael Jordan having more? AND, with LeBron now the only person to win the Finals MVP with three teams?

It's time to head back and refresh.

I had gotten halfway tired of this question on Quora, and eventually left because I was FULLY tired of the wingnut lies on politics and Quora concern trolling ME when I called them out. 

That said, rather than retyping myself and going back to Basketball-Reference time after time, it's easier to take my latest answer, add some stuff to it, and have it ready to post.

Lebron's career sabermetrics, updated from the start of season: PER 27.5 WS/48 .234 VORP 133.7 VORP/100 Games (my addition to Basketball Reference stats) 10.57.

OK, next?

Jordan, with fewer career games, career minutes and mid-career rest break: PER 27.9 WS/48 .250 VORP 104.4 VORP/100 G 9.739.

So, especially if one makes allowances for Jordan’s rest time, etc.? It’s arguable LeBron is 1 and Jordan is 1A.

As for the blinder Jordan fans? More finals wins/titles mean that LeBron never had a wingman as good as Scottie Pippen for starters. Don’t go there. And, no, don’t be such a Jordan homer over a Bulls homer to claim that Dwyane Wade is better than Scottie Pippen. He does have a year or two better by VORP, but otherwise? You know it’s not true; they're maybe about even, and that's maybe. Nor was Kyrie Irving, when paired with LeBron after he came back to Cleveland. He's not close.

Yes, LeBron has Anthony Davis this year. But? He didn't in the past. Period. And, while Chris Bosh was a good contributor with Miami? Bulls had Ron Harper, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc. Today's Lakers have nobody that close as a No. 3 option. And no, Danny Green is not at the Kukoc level, and Harper was as good as him on fewer minutes. The rest of that team? Yes, a shorter schedule, but still, JaVale McGee the only other player with 1.0 VORP or higher. (The 1996 and 1997 Bulls had six players there, as a counterexample, and five of them were over 2 VORP.)

Also? LBJ is 22nd in career assist percentage and Jordan is not in the top 100. In other words, LBJ worked harder to make his teammates better and more involved in the offense, and was better at it.

For Jordan fellators who LOL on Finals appearances vs titles?

Let’s put this another way.

LeBron's last year in his first stint in Cleveland? 61-21, lost in the East semis. Should have beaten the Celts, but set that aside. Next year, after he left? 19-63. 1993 Bulls? Won a title, 57-25 regular season.  Went 55-27 the next year, made it to the East semis. Went 47-25 the year after that, even, with Michael's late season comeback of just 17 games. Cavs? 21-45 in the strike-shortened second season after LeBron. And last year's Cavs, after losing LeBron the second time? 19-63. Get the picture? Click those two links above; compare the 2010 Cavs to 1993 Bulls, let alone 2011 Cavs to 1994 Bulls.

I would compare their age-35 seasons, but? Michael Jordan WAS RETIRED!!!!! Their age-34? Jordan 7.1 VORP and .238 WS/48.

Commenters, if I get any?

Jordan fans, given that I’ve already tackled the titles issue, find better arguments. The one and only good one, per ESPN's Zach Lowe and others, is LeBron spitting the bit in the 2011 Finals against the Mavericks. That said, this argument, the way it's usually presented, comes off as a diss of the Mavs. The Mavs did finish second in the West, as Miami did in the East. (People forget that.) Was Miami arguably the better team? Yes. Were all of its top players, not just LeBron, sniffing their own press clippings too much? Arguably, yes. Did they give the Mavs too many press clippings over Dirk's flu? Yes. But, Dallas had to win that series.

On the flip side, The Ringer reminds us of just what all is involved with winning the Finals MVP with three different teams, and how quickly LeBron elevated Miami, the returned-to Cleveland, and now LA.

Mamba fans wondering where Kobe Bryant is?

Not in the picture. Because he ain’t. He’s an A-minus, even more ball-centric, version of Jordan.