This actually might be the most impressive accolade in LeBrons career besides his Finals MVPs. Kareem was a dominant big man in the league for 20 seasons, having unprecedented longevity for a player of his size. Copyright 2021. landofbasketball.com - All rights reserved. Here we will take an in-depth look to see the merits each bring to the conversation, and who should be ranked higher. Kareem managed to win 6 NBA rings with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, while LeBron has won with the Heat, Cavaliers, and Lakers. LeBron James - Career stats, game logs, biographical info, awards, and achievements for the NBA. Jordan built the league up. Comments? With all the talk about LeBron VS Jordan, what about Kareem? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: LeBron James Is Bigger Than the 'GOAT' Debate, He's a Hero for Our Time By Kareem Abdul-Jabbar On 02/14/19 at 8:41 AM EST 11 All-Defensive Teams in 20 years is impressive, and his career stats of 2.6 BPG and 0.9 SPG is impressive as well. By completing a very difficult 2020 season, LeBron made his 16th All-NBA Team to one-up Kareem. LeBron on the other hand has had to contend with match after match after match of mediocre opponents who dont really care about that match they are playing in. Both legends played with Hall of Famers and Kareem gets the nod here. Posted on Jan His ability to make his teammates better goes far beyond stats IMO. Share this article share tweet text email link Nick Schwartz. These questions and many more, are answered here. If anyone appreciates the dominance and longevity of LeBron James career, its Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. James also improved his jump shooting as he aged, meaning he will go down as one of the best scorers ever. Kareem had 4.7 WS and 2.2 VORP compared to LeBron's 4.3 WS and 2.2 VORP. 6x MVP, 6 championships, 2x FMVP, 10x all nba first, 5x all nba second, 5x all nba defense 1st team, 6x nba all defense 2nd team, 2x scoring champion, 4x blocks leader, rebounding leader, most points ever in the NBA They are both very dominant players and have been for a very long time. 1976: Kareem Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Stat lines: Jordan - 16 PTS, 7 ASTS, 5 REBS, 5 STLS, 2 BLKS; Erving - 26 PTS, 8 REBS, 4 ASTS, 2 BLKS. LeBron is on track to surpass Kareem in terms of points scored and will be within shouting distance of his marks in minutes played and win shares. LeBron needs 2 more seasons at least to catch Kareems 6 NBA rings, but he has already surpassed Kareems 2 Finals MVPs. Until then, Kareem has the advantage again. On the other side, LeBron James has been a phenomenal athlete since high school and the most hyped and popular superstar players ever. 15 All-NBA Teams vs. 16 All-NBA Teams. The debate will go on forever: LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan. 15. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs. LeBron James Comparison Head-to-head comparison between the NBA stars LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar that includes championships won, honors and awards obtained, regular season and playoffs stats and other data put side by side. Archived. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the single greatest scorer in NBA history in total points, while LeBron James is third in total points. I'm not a Star ComparisonKareem Abdul-Jabbar vs. LeBron James, This page features career information and stats about the two NBA superstars Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James. Tommy Beer Forbes compelling case can also be made for the criminally underrated and underappreciated Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kareem and LeBron come close, but MJ seems to be the widely accepted GOAT. 1. Overall, the comparison is very close although Kareem does have the advantage in most of the key areas. Kareem deserves all 6 MVP Awards because he was the most dominant superstar in the NBA on both ends of the floor. Getty LeBron James, Lakers Its the holy grail of NBA records: Kareem Abdul-Jabbars 38,387 points, the scoring record hes held since his retirement in 1989. Reply. LeBron managed to beat out Kareems amazing achievement of 15 All-NBA Teams. The MVP Award is also another major achievement that comes up in GOAT debates. Rookie Michael Jordan put all his skills on display, stuffing the stat sheet against the East giants. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is recognized for his longevity. Jordan broke new grounds as a global superstar, and accomplished things few athletes have ever done. Posted by. Call it blasphemy if you wish, but I don't think that Michael Jordan is the greatest player in NBA history. Got To Make This One Count., Greatest American Team Sport Athletes of All Time: Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, NBA Executives On The Boston Celtics: Theyre Up To Something, NBA Rumors: Clippers Have Made Lou Williams And Patrick Beverley Available In Trade Talks. Kareem was a beast on defense even in his 40s, because he had size and awareness to his advantage. Kareems Case. Kareem has 6 MVP Awards, which is very incredible, while LeBron James has 4. He only has 2 fewer rings than Jabbar while also having the most impressive finals win in 2016 against the Warriors. in 1972 Wilt had 19.3 rebounds per game, Kareem had 17.5 rebounds per game; in 1971 Wilt had 18.8 per game, Kareem had 17.2 per game. LeBron James is third on the list with 34,241 points trailing only Karl Malone (36,928 points) for second place. Who led the season more times? Who won more championships? The man was unstoppable on offense, mainly because he had the sky-hook in his arsenal. This might be more impressive than having 2 more MVP Awards as well because being the best player in the Finals results in winning NBA championships rather than winning games in the regular season. Finals Stats for LeBron James : 29.8 ppg Kareem never quite understood Wilts criticism and wrote an open letter to the man he once called his idol in his autobiography. 2 on playoff scoring list 1977: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Los Angeles Lakers: No stats available. James is more of a natural playmaker than a scorer, but the fact he is the third leading scorer in history is a testament to his greatness and he might just pass Kareem before he retires. But LeBron James beat him out here. LeBron was the best player in the world for his championships with the Heat, Cavs, and Lakers and will be hoping he can add the 5th one next season. LeBron might not have a single unstoppable shot like Kareem, but he has incredible physical gifts that allow him to score the ball in the paint whenever he wants. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs. Michael Jordan Comparison Head-to-head comparison between the NBA stars Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar that includes championships won, honors and awards obtained, regular season and playoffs stats and other data put side by side. Howe you got those stats matter. LeBron James was unlucky not to have more because he suffered from being too good in the regular season for modern voters. 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To try to distinguish between the 2 legends, it is time to compare the careers of both players by their most important achievements. 7 months ago. When breaking down the stats of each, it may be worth mentioning Kareems name. Tom Brady vs. LeBron James the last player to do it was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar back in 1989. Luka Doncic vs. LeBron James. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James added another piece of NBA history to his resume, passing Wilt Chamberlain (12,681) for third place on the all-time in field goals made list.. VOTE FOR 2021 NBA ALL-STAR STARTERS HERE! Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs. Wilt Chamberlain. NBA GOAT: LeBron vs. Michael vs. Kareem vs. Wilt vs. the field. On the court, Lebron does has stats to compare to Jordan but being the GOAT isnt just about the stats. Luka Doncic vs. LeBron James. It would have been too boring to give LeBron the MVP every year, so the likes of Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose might have stolen some MVP Awards from LeBron. Stat lines: Jordan - 16 PTS, 7 ASTS, 5 REBS, 5 STLS, 2 BLKS; Erving - 26 PTS, 8 REBS, 4 ASTS, 2 BLKS. It makes sense their BPM is also about the same then with Kareem at 9.9 and LeBron This beats out LeBrons total so far and also gives a massive edge to Kareem in this comparison. The 2017 cavs were a 0 win team with lebron technically lol From 2015-2017 the cavs went 4-22 without Lebron, vs 167-39 with Lebron The 1975 bucks were 3-14 without Kareem and 35-30 with kareem Its worth mentioning they were 8-0 without Kareem from 72-74, they would be 11-14 without Kareem overall in that stretch. Kareem played seasons while LeBron is going onto his 18th season in just a few months. In the 1972 series, Kareem scored 34 points per game to Wilts 11 per game, in 1971 Kareem scored 25 per game to Wilts 22 per game. Playoffs 2017: East Semifinals -- Cavs (2) vs. Raptors (3) LeBron James passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for No. Nobody thought anyone would play as long as LeBron has and still be the best player in the world, so he gets the nod over Kareem in this regard. LeBron James is polarizing and doenst have the charisma and mass appeal that Jordan had. In the closing moments of Game 1 of the Finals against the Miami Heat, the Lakers Los Angeles Lakers icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recently wrote a touching tribute to LeBron James who was recently named as Sports Illustrateds Sportsperson of the Year. Pronunciation: \kuh-REEM ab-dool juh-BAR\. / Links. Teams, players profiles, awards, stats, records and championships. LeBron James has 4 Finals MVPs and 4 NBA titles, meaning he was the best player for each of his NBA rings. Since day one, both players have marked their impact on the league forever. It includes NBA Championships, seasons, playoffs, awards, statistical data for points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and percentages. Hes a 19-time All-Star, 15-time Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs. Wilt Chamberlain. This one ends in Kareems favor as well. Land of Basketball is a fan website, for official NBA information visit National Basketball Association's website. Also read: LeBron James vs Michael Jordan - Even as his athleticism waned with his age, he was able to score points and that is why he is the greatest scorer ever. This award shows who the best player throughout an entire regular season, and in the case of both of these players, it shows how many times they were the best player in the league. Advantage: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar . Wilts rebounding stats were slightly better. This isn't a knock against LeBron's greatness, but more about how great Kareem was. Both players captured at least 4 NBA titles, but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has 6 rings. No stats available. Either way, this ends in Kareems favor as well. Privacy and Cookies Policy. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kareem had more assists per game than Wilt in each series. LeBron vs. Kareem. Kareem has 2 Finals MVPs because he played alongside the likes of the great Magic Johnson and James Worthy. LeBron was an incredible defender early on in his career and especially with the Miami Heat, but he started giving up on defense as he aged and loses out in this comparison of accolades. Born: April 16, 1947 in New York, New York us College: UCLA High School: Power Memorial in New York, New York Kareem knew how to affect any game defensively because he could read the opponent plays and moves naturally. These Stats Suggest LeBron James Is The Greatest Basketball Player Ever. like follow March 7, 2019 10:31 am. Kareem has been declared a 'basketball legend' by many and is definitely among the top 3 NBA players of all-time. Kareem is widely recognized as one of the greatest defensive players ever. Kareem was consistent and dominant for a decade and a half and earned this achievement. It is no wonder why many of the old-heads consider Kareem Abdul-Jabbar the greatest player of all time, while the majority of the younger generation would take LeBron James over him. In terms of getting buckets, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the single greatest player ever. Kareem had the single most unstoppable move in the history of the game, meaning he could just flick the skyhook for 2 points at any time during a game. While Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has 6 NBA titles, which is 2 more than LeBron James, James has 4 Finals MVPs over Kareems 2. Close. The reason is their sustained greatness, longevity, and overall impact on the game of basketball over their careers. Whenever the goat debate takes place, NBA championships are often the first thing that comes up. Suggestions? Who won more MVP awards? Kareems open letter to Wilt Chumperlame With his playing career behind him, a career that saw Kareem Abdul-Jabbar score an NBA-record 38,387 points, he released an autobiography, Giant Steps, in 1990 and torched Wilt Chamberlain. Aside from Michael Jordan, the two players who each get the most consideration of being the greatest player of all time are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James. Kareem has the unstoppable and unblockable sky-hook shot on offense and was also one of the greatest defensive centers ever. Can LeBron James break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record? Back To Topics. James entered tonight's game vs. the Denver Nuggets just three buckets shy of the Hall of Famer, passing the mark in the first quarter with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is not done chasing greatness. After all, winning is what matters most and the greatest player of all time must be a winner of the highest order. 1978: Bill Walton: Portland Trail Blazers: No stats available. That's fitting because Giannis may be a hybrid of LeBron and Kareem. Who averaged more points in playoffs? Giannis' overall stat line of 32 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, three blocks and two steals was absurd. Rookie Michael Jordan put all his skills on display, stuffing the stat sheet against the East giants. Hello, today I thought I would try uploading something different. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also managed to win 3 titles in 3 years at UCLA, which is why he is considered by many as the best basketball player ever taking into account all levels of play. Bulls. Who scored more points in his career? They have both won at least 4 NBA titles and 2 NBA Finals MVPs, and each has at least 15 All-NBA Team appearances. Isiah Thomas on why LeBron James will be the greatest of all time, Kareem, Magic, Bird, Jordan, myself, including stats that are still relevant in 2020. Winner of six NBA titles (five with the Los Angeles Lakers), six MVPs, two Finals MVPs. LeBron James should have made more All-Defensive Teams over his career because he has the physical tools to be the best defender of all time. Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Regular season advanced stats It's all about which category you choose when it comes to advanced statistics. This debate will never be concluded with a clear answer, although it is safe to say that the wide majority of fans and media (regardless of age or bias) believe Michael Jordan to be the greatest ever. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Twitter: kaj33 (born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr.) (Lew, Cap, Murdock, Big Fella) Position: Center Shoots: Right 7-2, 225lb (218cm, 102kg) . LeBron vs. Kareem. Kareem was lucky enough to play alongside Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, and James Worthy while LeBron James had Kyrie Irving, Dwyane Wade, and Anthony Davis. larrypmac. He played 15 seasons out of 20 at an All-NBA level, something astonishing and even more incredible considering he was a center who took a ton of hits in the paint as a big man. Contact us! 3 NBA champion (2012, 2013, 2016) 3 NBA Finals MVP (2012, 2013, 2016) 4 NBA Most Valuable Player (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013) 15 NBA All-Star (20052019) vs. LeBron did play two more games but in terms of minutes they both played around 750 (758 for Kareem and 744 for LeBron). Let me just clear up some things. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is recognized for his longevity. In that environment lesser players like Davis fall asleep most of the time, so you need someone dedicated to pumping up their stats to achieve arbitrary landmarks. You could argue LeBron has shrunk the influence of the league here at home. He played 15 seasons out of 20 at an All-NBA level, something astonishing and even more incredible considering he was a center who took a ton of hits in the paint as a big man.