Author Topic: LBJ would destroy MJ/Kobe in a 1 on 1..  (Read 18286 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

LBJ would destroy MJ/Kobe in a 1 on 1..
« on: October 02, 2013, 10:38:14 AM »

Offline Monkhouse

  • Paul Silas
  • ******
  • Posts: 6932
  • Tommy Points: 814
  • A true Celtic plays with heart.
"In a video promoting the NBA 2K14 video game that is being released today, Jordan said there's a long list of players he would've liked to have played one-on-one — Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Julius Erving, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, [Kobe] Bryant and [LeBron] James, who dons the cover of this year's game.

"I don't think I would lose," Jordan said in the video, before smiling and adding, "Other than to Kobe Bryant, because he steals all of my moves."

-----

Love and respect the G.O.A.T, but I think this is an outlandish statement...

Lebron has a good 70-85 pounds and 3 inches over Kobe, and just as quick... Lebron is and might be a better defender in his prime, not to mention he's an freakish athlete with crazy motor, and is only better now that his post game has been defined and perfected... (Watch the Finals last year, and see how many times players tried posting up on him, only for him to fade away, shoot the jumper, or lean in for a finger roll or a foul.)

Kobe would try to out shoot him, but people forget Lebron shot 40.6% from the 3... While Kobe has only shot 38.3% for his best career average, despite the fact Kobe actually shoots relatively a lot more 3's than Lebron. But LBJ strength isn't his shooting.. Its his ability to drive, and basically be unguarded...

Now for everyone living under a rock... Its obvious that MJ feels threatened.. Back when there was LBJ vs Kobe arguments... Jordan would always side with Kobe. Kobe tried so hard to mirror Jordan's game, and even changed his game numerous times to really be a poor man's version of Jordan.

LBJ has never ever tried to mirror Jordan... In fact he has set his own original legacy, and is only one of a kind. People have tried to compare him to Magic... But guess what? Magic was never ever solid at defense, and will never ever be as athletic as LBJ is. Nor is he ridiculously talented, gifted, and skilled as LBJ is. He has and had the best freakish athleticism that the NBA has never seen before.

In any 1 on 1... LBJ would beat MJ or Kobe any day of the week... MJ feels threatened because LBJ is slowly impeding on his legacy, and he should.

As much as I dislike LBJ, I realize his ability to play the game will surpass even MJ if he keeps going on strong and healthy for the next 6-10 years.


"I bomb atomically, Socrates' philosophies and hypotheses
Can't define how I be dropping these mockeries."

Is the glass half-full or half-empty?
It's based on your perspective, quite simply
We're the same and we're not; know what I'm saying? Listen
Son, I ain't better than you, I just think different

Re: LBJ would destroy MJ/Kobe in a 1 on 1..
« Reply #1 on: October 02, 2013, 10:44:08 AM »

Offline Yoki_IsTheName

  • Ed Macauley
  • ***********
  • Posts: 11134
  • Tommy Points: 1304
  • I'm a Paul Heyman guy.
LeBron has not yet touched, and may never touch Jordan's greatness.

But I agree, in a game of one on one, as good awesome as MJ is, James is one very tough match up. LeBron is not just some guy he can bully down low. They are both ultra skilled bit LeBron has the size advantage.
2019 CStrong Historical Draft 2000s OKC Thunder.
PG: Jrue Holiday / Isaiah Thomas / Larry Hughes
SG: Paul George / Aaron McKie / Bradley Beal
SF: Paul Pierce / Tayshaun Prince / Brian Scalabrine
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge / Shareef Abdur-Raheem / Ben Simmons
C: Jermaine O'neal / Ben Wallace

Re: LBJ would destroy MJ/Kobe in a 1 on 1..
« Reply #2 on: October 02, 2013, 10:49:12 AM »

Offline Monkhouse

  • Paul Silas
  • ******
  • Posts: 6932
  • Tommy Points: 814
  • A true Celtic plays with heart.
LeBron has not yet touched, and may never touch Jordan's greatness.

But I agree, in a game of one on one, as good awesome as MJ is, James is one very tough match up. LeBron is not just some guy he can bully down low. They are both ultra skilled bit LeBron has the size advantage.

You can't deny the fact Lebron is a freak of nature. He hasn't been injured to a point where he has missed a full season or half a season...

He can play up to 7-10 years and he's already close to Jordan... I don't see why everyone acts as if Lebron will never touch his legacy, cause he can, and he will.
"I bomb atomically, Socrates' philosophies and hypotheses
Can't define how I be dropping these mockeries."

Is the glass half-full or half-empty?
It's based on your perspective, quite simply
We're the same and we're not; know what I'm saying? Listen
Son, I ain't better than you, I just think different

Re: LBJ would destroy MJ/Kobe in a 1 on 1..
« Reply #3 on: October 02, 2013, 11:15:51 AM »

Offline Yoki_IsTheName

  • Ed Macauley
  • ***********
  • Posts: 11134
  • Tommy Points: 1304
  • I'm a Paul Heyman guy.
LeBron has not yet touched, and may never touch Jordan's greatness.

But I agree, in a game of one on one, as good awesome as MJ is, James is one very tough match up. LeBron is not just some guy he can bully down low. They are both ultra skilled bit LeBron has the size advantage.

You can't deny the fact Lebron is a freak of nature. He hasn't been injured to a point where he has missed a full season or half a season...

He can play up to 7-10 years and he's already close to Jordan... I don't see why everyone acts as if Lebron will never touch his legacy, cause he can, and he will.

Becaus MJ never lost in the Finals. That alone cements him over LeBron and pretty much everybody else. For all MJ accomplished, that 6 for 6 would be tough to beat. LeBron may need to win more than 6 to be atleast in the conversation.

Until he does that, and maybe win a DPOY, he's nowhere close to MJ's greatness. But in a game one on one, LeBron will beat MJ.

But I do agree that Jordan seems to be worried about his legacy that James may one day overtake him as the best ever. But he shouldnt.
2019 CStrong Historical Draft 2000s OKC Thunder.
PG: Jrue Holiday / Isaiah Thomas / Larry Hughes
SG: Paul George / Aaron McKie / Bradley Beal
SF: Paul Pierce / Tayshaun Prince / Brian Scalabrine
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge / Shareef Abdur-Raheem / Ben Simmons
C: Jermaine O'neal / Ben Wallace

Re: LBJ would destroy MJ/Kobe in a 1 on 1..
« Reply #4 on: October 02, 2013, 11:32:55 AM »

Offline bdm860

  • Rajon Rondo
  • *****
  • Posts: 5952
  • Tommy Points: 4586
LeBron has not yet touched, and may never touch Jordan's greatness.

But I agree, in a game of one on one, as good awesome as MJ is, James is one very tough match up. LeBron is not just some guy he can bully down low. They are both ultra skilled bit LeBron has the size advantage.

You can't deny the fact Lebron is a freak of nature. He hasn't been injured to a point where he has missed a full season or half a season...

He can play up to 7-10 years and he's already close to Jordan... I don't see why everyone acts as if Lebron will never touch his legacy, cause he can, and he will.

Becaus MJ never lost in the Finals. That alone cements him over LeBron and pretty much everybody else. For all MJ accomplished, that 6 for 6 would be tough to beat. LeBron may need to win more than 6 to be atleast in the conversation.

Until he does that, and maybe win a DPOY, he's nowhere close to MJ's greatness. But in a game one on one, LeBron will beat MJ.

But I do agree that Jordan seems to be worried about his legacy that James may one day overtake him as the best ever. But he shouldnt.

I disagree with that line of reasoning.  Jordan is better than LeBron because he's 2 for 2 in the Finals (at age 28), while Lebron is 2 for 4?  So it makes Jordan better to have lost more in the 1st round, 2nd round, and ECF, than LeBron?  How does that make sense?

Not saying who is better, but at age 28 I think their careers are eerily similar:

Both were 2x champions, 2x Finals MVP
Both were 5x All Defense 1st team.

Lebron has 7 All-NBA 1st team selections, Jordan had 6.
LeBron has 4 MVP's, Jordan had 3.
Jordan has 1 DPOY, LeBron has 0. (I think LeBron will get his next year, finished 2nd and he was lobbying hard for it.)
*Though LeBron has 2 more seasons under his belt at age 28 than Jordan.

Now different players, different styles, different eras, different positions, etc., but look at their PER.  From Age 23 to Age 28, can you tell which PER belongs to which player?

Age   Player 1   Player 2
23   29.1   29.8
24   31.7   31.7
25   31.3   31.1
26   27.3   31.2
27   30.7   31.6
28   31.6   27.7

I think this will be the debate for many years going forward.  Hard to really argue about it until it's all said and done though, but IMO, so far LeBron appears to be on pace to be compete with Jordan in terms of greatness.
« Last Edit: October 02, 2013, 11:38:36 AM by bdm860 »

After 18 months with their Bigs, the Littles were: 46% less likely to use illegal drugs, 27% less likely to use alcohol, 52% less likely to skip school, 37% less likely to skip a class

Re: LBJ would destroy MJ/Kobe in a 1 on 1..
« Reply #5 on: October 02, 2013, 11:48:07 AM »

Offline Yoki_IsTheName

  • Ed Macauley
  • ***********
  • Posts: 11134
  • Tommy Points: 1304
  • I'm a Paul Heyman guy.
LeBron has not yet touched, and may never touch Jordan's greatness.

But I agree, in a game of one on one, as good awesome as MJ is, James is one very tough match up. LeBron is not just some guy he can bully down low. They are both ultra skilled bit LeBron has the size advantage.

You can't deny the fact Lebron is a freak of nature. He hasn't been injured to a point where he has missed a full season or half a season...

He can play up to 7-10 years and he's already close to Jordan... I don't see why everyone acts as if Lebron will never touch his legacy, cause he can, and he will.

Becaus MJ never lost in the Finals. That alone cements him over LeBron and pretty much everybody else. For all MJ accomplished, that 6 for 6 would be tough to beat. LeBron may need to win more than 6 to be atleast in the conversation.

Until he does that, and maybe win a DPOY, he's nowhere close to MJ's greatness. But in a game one on one, LeBron will beat MJ.

But I do agree that Jordan seems to be worried about his legacy that James may one day overtake him as the best ever. But he shouldnt.

I disagree with that line of reasoning.  Jordan is better than LeBron because he's 2 for 2 in the Finals (at age 28), while Lebron is 2 for 4?  So it makes Jordan better to have lost more in the 1st round, 2nd round, and ECF, than LeBron?  How does that make sense?

Not saying who is better, but at age 28 I think their careers are eerily similar:

Both were 2x champions, 2x Finals MVP
Both were 5x All Defense 1st team.

Lebron has 7 All-NBA 1st team selections, Jordan had 6.
LeBron has 4 MVP's, Jordan had 3.
Jordan has 1 DPOY, LeBron has 0. (I think LeBron will get his next year, finished 2nd and he was lobbying hard for it.)
*Though LeBron has 2 more seasons under his belt at age 28 than Jordan.

Now different players, different styles, different eras, different positions, etc., but look at their PER.  From Age 23 to Age 28, can you tell which PER belongs to which player?

Age   Player 1   Player 2
23   29.1   29.8
24   31.7   31.7
25   31.3   31.1
26   27.3   31.2
27   30.7   31.6
28   31.6   27.7

I think this will be the debate for many years going forward.  Hard to really argue about it until it's all said and done though, but IMO, so far LeBron appears to be on pace to be compete with Jordan in terms of greatness.

But we are talking overall legacy here, not what they were in a certain age.

LeBron has to win more championshils than Jordan to be called the greatest ever. MJ and LeBron are the best players of thwir generation, but MJ is flawless in the Finals, when it counted, againts probably much better competition (although this might be a flawed argument since you can only play who youre with on a certain era, but there is some merit to it).

LeBron has ONE big flaw, he disappeared in 2011. For all MJ's playoff failures before he got to the top, disappearing in games was never brougjt out, because he never did. LeBron went completely passive againts Dallas and thats a big, big step back.

MJ got help but didn't lobby for it as well, that seperates the two IMO a great length. Im not denying how great LeBron can be, im not one of those guys whos blinded by hate. And I see the numbers, but Jordan set thr standards SO high, and as great as LeBron is right now, I think he's not there yet, and may never be there (talking about overtaking Jordan), despite any numbers, all star appearances he puts in. The Finals loss (and im not eve counting Cleveland) will prevent from doing so.
2019 CStrong Historical Draft 2000s OKC Thunder.
PG: Jrue Holiday / Isaiah Thomas / Larry Hughes
SG: Paul George / Aaron McKie / Bradley Beal
SF: Paul Pierce / Tayshaun Prince / Brian Scalabrine
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge / Shareef Abdur-Raheem / Ben Simmons
C: Jermaine O'neal / Ben Wallace

Re: LBJ would destroy MJ/Kobe in a 1 on 1..
« Reply #6 on: October 02, 2013, 12:17:03 PM »

Offline Celtics17

  • Jayson Tatum
  • Posts: 873
  • Tommy Points: 108
Wow, how quickly we forget. MJ would destroy Lebron in a one on one and I am a huge Lebron fan. MJ just had too many moves. Sure Bron has more power and can hang with MJ on a vertical jump but still Jordan was by far the superior scorer and it's really not even close.

One player though who could have beaten MJ was Wilt. Can you imagine an 'in his prime' Chamberlain playing MJ one on one? Wilt was a better athlete, far stronger and had more power, and was just as quck and fast as Jordan. He also could handle the ball too. MJ vs. Wilt would be very lopsided as Wilt would have shut him down defensively and had his way with him on offense. Jordan could dunk from the free throw line after running the length of the court. Wilt did it from standing inside the circle.

Re: LBJ would destroy MJ/Kobe in a 1 on 1..
« Reply #7 on: October 02, 2013, 12:21:44 PM »

Offline Chris

  • Global Moderator
  • Dennis Johnson
  • ******************
  • Posts: 18008
  • Tommy Points: 642
I'm with Jordan on this one.  In a one on one game, Lebron's athleticism (which isn't that much better than Jordan's) would be limited (I am assuming this would be halfcourt, of course).  It will come down to skills, and Jordan just had more skills as a scorer.  Between his shooting and his post moves, I think Jordan would definitely beat Lebron.

And I also believe that Kobe would beat Jordan.  As Jordan said, he stole all his moves, and Kobe was a little bigger than Jordan.  The reasons Jordan was better overall than Kobe was because of his passing and overall team game, but that is lost in a one on one game.

Re: LBJ would destroy MJ/Kobe in a 1 on 1..
« Reply #8 on: October 02, 2013, 12:25:27 PM »

Online Donoghus

  • Global Moderator
  • Bill Russell
  • ******************************
  • Posts: 30939
  • Tommy Points: 1607
  • What a Pub Should Be
I think its nuts to think either one (MJ or LBJ) would destroy the other.  Lebron has size & could try and muscle MJ down low.  Jordan on the other hand, could strike with that untouchable fadeaway not to mention use his quickness to get to the rim.  Lebron isn't exactly slow, though.

Playoff performance has absolutely nothing to do with a one on one matchup.  Its just gonna come down to their basketball skills and each has a unique repetoire that would be interesting to see the other would go against. 

I think, ultimately, Lebron might be able to wear down Jordan with his size but that might be rendered moot if Jordan is killing it from the outside. Playing to 7, I'm leaning Jordan. Longer the game, I think the advantage shifts to Lebron. 


2010 CB Historical Draft - Best Overall Team

Re: LBJ would destroy MJ/Kobe in a 1 on 1..
« Reply #9 on: October 02, 2013, 12:28:47 PM »

Offline bdm860

  • Rajon Rondo
  • *****
  • Posts: 5952
  • Tommy Points: 4586
LeBron has not yet touched, and may never touch Jordan's greatness.

But I agree, in a game of one on one, as good awesome as MJ is, James is one very tough match up. LeBron is not just some guy he can bully down low. They are both ultra skilled bit LeBron has the size advantage.

You can't deny the fact Lebron is a freak of nature. He hasn't been injured to a point where he has missed a full season or half a season...

He can play up to 7-10 years and he's already close to Jordan... I don't see why everyone acts as if Lebron will never touch his legacy, cause he can, and he will.

Becaus MJ never lost in the Finals. That alone cements him over LeBron and pretty much everybody else. For all MJ accomplished, that 6 for 6 would be tough to beat. LeBron may need to win more than 6 to be atleast in the conversation.

Until he does that, and maybe win a DPOY, he's nowhere close to MJ's greatness. But in a game one on one, LeBron will beat MJ.

But I do agree that Jordan seems to be worried about his legacy that James may one day overtake him as the best ever. But he shouldnt.

I disagree with that line of reasoning.  Jordan is better than LeBron because he's 2 for 2 in the Finals (at age 28), while Lebron is 2 for 4?  So it makes Jordan better to have lost more in the 1st round, 2nd round, and ECF, than LeBron?  How does that make sense?

Not saying who is better, but at age 28 I think their careers are eerily similar:

Both were 2x champions, 2x Finals MVP
Both were 5x All Defense 1st team.

Lebron has 7 All-NBA 1st team selections, Jordan had 6.
LeBron has 4 MVP's, Jordan had 3.
Jordan has 1 DPOY, LeBron has 0. (I think LeBron will get his next year, finished 2nd and he was lobbying hard for it.)
*Though LeBron has 2 more seasons under his belt at age 28 than Jordan.

Now different players, different styles, different eras, different positions, etc., but look at their PER.  From Age 23 to Age 28, can you tell which PER belongs to which player?

Age   Player 1   Player 2
23   29.1   29.8
24   31.7   31.7
25   31.3   31.1
26   27.3   31.2
27   30.7   31.6
28   31.6   27.7

I think this will be the debate for many years going forward.  Hard to really argue about it until it's all said and done though, but IMO, so far LeBron appears to be on pace to be compete with Jordan in terms of greatness.

But we are talking overall legacy here, not what they were in a certain age.

LeBron has to win more championshils than Jordan to be called the greatest ever. MJ and LeBron are the best players of thwir generation, but MJ is flawless in the Finals, when it counted, againts probably much better competition (although this might be a flawed argument since you can only play who youre with on a certain era, but there is some merit to it).

LeBron has ONE big flaw, he disappeared in 2011. For all MJ's playoff failures before he got to the top, disappearing in games was never brougjt out, because he never did. LeBron went completely passive againts Dallas and thats a big, big step back.

MJ got help but didn't lobby for it as well, that seperates the two IMO a great length. Im not denying how great LeBron can be, im not one of those guys whos blinded by hate. And I see the numbers, but Jordan set thr standards SO high, and as great as LeBron is right now, I think he's not there yet, and may never be there (talking about overtaking Jordan), despite any numbers, all star appearances he puts in. The Finals loss (and im not eve counting Cleveland) will prevent from doing so.

Why would you compare Jordan's complete career against half of LeBron's?  You said LeBron hasn't touched Jordan's greatness yet, to me that means Jordan's career trajectory was ahead of LeBron's at this point. That means 28 year old Jordan was greater/better than 28 year old LeBron.

All you can really do is compare what LeBron has done so far, against what Jordan did at the same age, and then use everything else Jordan did as LeBron's benchmark going forward.  (Though I will give you Jordan's complete career is better than LeBron's complete career thus far, but that's apples and oranges).

So what do you think about where they were at comparable points in time? Based on everything above I posted, do you think LeBron is on pace to have comparable or even better accomplishments than Jordan?  So far, is LeBron not about as great as Jordan was at the same age?

I do agree that Jordan has one of the best killer instincts of all time, something I think LeBron lacks.  But while you hate on LeBron for disappearing in the Finals at age 26 (don't worry, I hate on him for this too  :) ), just remember Jordan was watching the Finals from home at that same age, had never even been there, while LeBron was there for the 2nd time. 

And Jordan did a lot of lobbying.  Feel free to go back and read books like The Jordan Rules.  Just because mass media and the internet weren't around like today, reporting every little thing, doesn't mean it didn't happen.

All I'm really saying though, Jordan's greatness vs LeBron's greatness, it's debatable, not hands down Jordan.

After 18 months with their Bigs, the Littles were: 46% less likely to use illegal drugs, 27% less likely to use alcohol, 52% less likely to skip school, 37% less likely to skip a class

Re: LBJ would destroy MJ/Kobe in a 1 on 1..
« Reply #10 on: October 02, 2013, 12:33:24 PM »

Offline manl_lui

  • Paul Silas
  • ******
  • Posts: 6571
  • Tommy Points: 427
I think there is no point on arguing, because Lebron's career is not over yet. Yes, Lebron's career is on pace to be as "great" as Jordan, and has accomplished some features at age 28 that Jordan has not (4 finals appearance vs 2), (4 MVPs). But hey, let's not jump to conclusion and guess things that has not happened yet. Who knows if he will get injured sometime in the future.

In my opinion, if Lebron continues to win championships, and if he ends up winning 6+ championships, then we can compare. Also, he will also have to establish a powerhouse that Jordan did. Two dynasties whereas Lebron only had 2 championships thus far. He will need to have at least 1 dynasty to even be in that conversation. As of now, Lebron != MJ in terms of greatness, and not even close.

Re: LBJ would destroy MJ/Kobe in a 1 on 1..
« Reply #11 on: October 02, 2013, 12:38:32 PM »

Offline pearljammer10

  • K.C. Jones
  • *************
  • Posts: 13129
  • Tommy Points: 885
LeBron has not yet touched, and may never touch Jordan's greatness.

But I agree, in a game of one on one, as good awesome as MJ is, James is one very tough match up. LeBron is not just some guy he can bully down low. They are both ultra skilled bit LeBron has the size advantage.

You can't deny the fact Lebron is a freak of nature. He hasn't been injured to a point where he has missed a full season or half a season...

He can play up to 7-10 years and he's already close to Jordan... I don't see why everyone acts as if Lebron will never touch his legacy, cause he can, and he will.

Becaus MJ never lost in the Finals. That alone cements him over LeBron and pretty much everybody else. For all MJ accomplished, that 6 for 6 would be tough to beat. LeBron may need to win more than 6 to be atleast in the conversation.

Until he does that, and maybe win a DPOY, he's nowhere close to MJ's greatness. But in a game one on one, LeBron will beat MJ.

But I do agree that Jordan seems to be worried about his legacy that James may one day overtake him as the best ever. But he shouldnt.

Theres no other response tha this. Jordan never lost in the Finals. Lebron has done so plus has given up on his team in previous playoff rounds. Jordans legacy will never be touched no matter how much better James becomes.

Re: LBJ would destroy MJ/Kobe in a 1 on 1..
« Reply #12 on: October 02, 2013, 12:40:47 PM »

Offline bdm860

  • Rajon Rondo
  • *****
  • Posts: 5952
  • Tommy Points: 4586
I think its nuts to think either one (MJ or LBJ) would destroy the other.  Lebron has size & could try and muscle MJ down low.  Jordan on the other hand, could strike with that untouchable fadeaway not to mention use his quickness to get to the rim.  Lebron isn't exactly slow, though.

Playoff performance has absolutely nothing to do with a one on one matchup.  Its just gonna come down to their basketball skills and each has a unique repetoire that would be interesting to see the other would go against. 

I think, ultimately, Lebron might be able to wear down Jordan with his size but that might be rendered moot if Jordan is killing it from the outside. Playing to 7, I'm leaning Jordan. Longer the game, I think the advantage shifts to Lebron.

Personally, I think Jordan is a little overrated as a shooter.  I wouldn't say he's a better shooter than LeBron.

In 13 full seasons from 3:
He shot over 40% 1x - good.
He shot 35-40% 3x's - respectable
He shot 30-35% 1x - acceptable in small doses
He shot 20-30% 4x -  please only shoot if the clock is winding down
He shot 10-20% 4x - just don't shoot from here

His strengths were in his relentless, driving, and the mid range pull ups and fade aways.  In a half court one-on-one game, I think LeBron's defense and strength would limit Jordan's effectiveness in driving and also be able to challenge the midrange jumpers and fadeaways.

Also LeBron's extra 2-3 inches would help him shoot over Jordan, while also helping him challenge Jordan's shot.

Both of these guys would be best by taking it to the rim, and here I think LeBron's size and strength would help him out greatly here.

After 18 months with their Bigs, the Littles were: 46% less likely to use illegal drugs, 27% less likely to use alcohol, 52% less likely to skip school, 37% less likely to skip a class

Re: LBJ would destroy MJ/Kobe in a 1 on 1..
« Reply #13 on: October 02, 2013, 01:13:07 PM »

Online Donoghus

  • Global Moderator
  • Bill Russell
  • ******************************
  • Posts: 30939
  • Tommy Points: 1607
  • What a Pub Should Be
I think its nuts to think either one (MJ or LBJ) would destroy the other.  Lebron has size & could try and muscle MJ down low.  Jordan on the other hand, could strike with that untouchable fadeaway not to mention use his quickness to get to the rim.  Lebron isn't exactly slow, though.

Playoff performance has absolutely nothing to do with a one on one matchup.  Its just gonna come down to their basketball skills and each has a unique repetoire that would be interesting to see the other would go against. 

I think, ultimately, Lebron might be able to wear down Jordan with his size but that might be rendered moot if Jordan is killing it from the outside. Playing to 7, I'm leaning Jordan. Longer the game, I think the advantage shifts to Lebron.

Personally, I think Jordan is a little overrated as a shooter.  I wouldn't say he's a better shooter than LeBron.

In 13 full seasons from 3:
He shot over 40% 1x - good.
He shot 35-40% 3x's - respectable
He shot 30-35% 1x - acceptable in small doses
He shot 20-30% 4x -  please only shoot if the clock is winding down
He shot 10-20% 4x - just don't shoot from here

His strengths were in his relentless, driving, and the mid range pull ups and fade aways.  In a half court one-on-one game, I think LeBron's defense and strength would limit Jordan's effectiveness in driving and also be able to challenge the midrange jumpers and fadeaways.

Also LeBron's extra 2-3 inches would help him shoot over Jordan, while also helping him challenge Jordan's shot.

Both of these guys would be best by taking it to the rim, and here I think LeBron's size and strength would help him out greatly here.

I'm not sure how many 3s these guys are going to be chucking up in a one on one matchup.

I think you'd see a lot of driving,dunks,  midrange jumpers, and fadeaways.   Don't think you'd see a lot beyond the arc.  You just don't see many one on one matchups contested that way.


2010 CB Historical Draft - Best Overall Team

Re: LBJ would destroy MJ/Kobe in a 1 on 1..
« Reply #14 on: October 02, 2013, 01:18:33 PM »

Offline Fan from VT

  • NCE
  • Antoine Walker
  • ****
  • Posts: 4205
  • Tommy Points: 777
I'm with Jordan on this one.  In a one on one game, Lebron's athleticism (which isn't that much better than Jordan's) would be limited (I am assuming this would be halfcourt, of course).  It will come down to skills, and Jordan just had more skills as a scorer.  Between his shooting and his post moves, I think Jordan would definitely beat Lebron.

And I also believe that Kobe would beat Jordan.  As Jordan said, he stole all his moves, and Kobe was a little bigger than Jordan.  The reasons Jordan was better overall than Kobe was because of his passing and overall team game, but that is lost in a one on one game.

No way. kobe took his moves, but jordan was better at every one of them. Way better than kobe overall.