On Tuesday night, LeBron James faced a player who could be considered the future of the NBA in Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. But in doing so, the Cleveland Cavaliers star also matched the legacy of one of basketball's legends, tying Hall of Famer Michael Jordan with his 1,072nd career game played.
Dating back to his high school days at Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary, James has long considered Jordan his idol, citing the former Chicago Bull as the reason he wears the No. 23. Over the course of his 15-year career, James has also drawn comparisons to Jordan, as his dominant play has helped establish his own claim to being considered one of the game's all-time greats.
Now that James and Jordan have the same number of regular season games under their belts, many have taken to comparing their respective resumes. How do arguably basketball's two biggest living legends stack up? Let's take a look:
| James | Jordan | |
|---|---|---|
| Games played | 1,072 | 1,072 |
| Points | 29,105 | 32,292 |
| FG % | .502 | .497 |
| Rebounds | 7,788 | 6,672 |
| Assists | 7,561 | 5,633 |
| Steals | 1,765 | 2,514 |
| Blocks | 830 | 893 |
| Career wins | 716 | 706 |
| Career losses | 356 | 366 |
As for James and Jordan's respective postseason legacies, here's how the two compare:
| James | Jordan | |
|---|---|---|
| Games played | 1,072 | 1,072 |
| Points | 29,105 | 32,292 |
| FG % | .502 | .497 |
| Rebounds | 7,788 | 6,672 |
| Assists | 7,561 | 5,633 |
| Steals | 1,765 | 2,514 |
| Blocks | 830 | 893 |
| Career wins | 716 | 706 |
| Career losses | 356 | 366 |
Who do you think has had the better career? LeBron James or Michael Jordan? Vote on our Twitter poll below:
Who do you think has had the better NBA career?
— WKYC Channel 3 News (@wkyc) November 8, 2017
