LeBron Is As Good As Michael Jordan

 By now its being reported just about everywhere that LeBron James will win his 3rd MVP in four years tomorrow.  You could make a strong argument that if it weren't for ridiculous public ill will towards him last year, this would be his fourth in a row.  Its impossible to argue that LeBron isn't an elite player destined to be an all time great.  There is still though, a movement to downplay his greatness.  This is unfair, and in the end we're only hurting ourselves.  We're watching potentially the greatest player of all time, and instead of appreciating it, we're trying to minimize his greatness.

 The general consensus is that Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time and for good reason.  He was dominant and efficient, while also winning a whole lot.  Originally, Kobe Bryant looked like the closest to Jordan in the post-MJ era.  In terms of style, Kobe's play is eerily similar at times.  He's also won an astounding 5 titles, one short of Jordan.  Kobe though doesn't have the same eficiency as Jordan and that, in the end, is the difference between the two.  Now, its LeBron's turn at Jordan.

  LeBron has been without question the best player in the NBA for at least the past four years.  There's really no argument for any other player, at least reasonably.  Amazingly, LeBron is only entering his prime and we will see his best play coming up.  For his career, LeBron is shooting 48.3% which is a whole 3% better than Kobe and just short of Jordan's 49.7%.  For their careers, Jordan is also ahead of LeBron in points per game.  From there, Jordan isn't necessarily better than LeBron.

  While by simple shooting percentage, Jordan may seem more efficient, LeBron actually may be the better of the too.  LeBron has a better Effective Field Goal Percentage (.516 to .509) and the two share the same True Shooting Percentage.  LeBron is putting up 7.2 rebounds a game and 6.9 assists a game.  Jordan averaged 6.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game.  LeBron is considerably better in both, and still improving.  LeBron also has better rebounding percentage (10.5% to 9.4%) and assist percentage (34.1% to 24.9%).

  Perhaps what shows LeBron's greatness most is this season just finished.  He put up 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.9 steals a game.  That is an all-around dominant year matched only once, ever, by who else but Michael Jordan.
 
  To be clear, Michael Jordan is still better than LeBron James at this point.  The two are much closer than many would want to acknowledge, and maybe most importantly, LeBron still has four or five more years in his prime.  There is no doubt, except to irrational haters, that LeBron belongs in the same breath as Michael Jordan at career's end and could possibly even be better.