The Michael Jordan vs LeBron James debate will probably rumble on until the end of time.
Old NBA heads swear MJ is the GOAT while the new generation of basketball fans think ‘The King’ is the greatest to ever do it.
Micahel Jordan and LeBron James are two of basketball’s greatest players
There’s no right or wrong answer, of course, especially because their careers failed to overlap and they never got to play each other.
But thanks to the wonders of modern technology, we can now see which NBA icon would come out on top in a head-to-head battle.
We’ve already seen how LeBron and MJ would fare in a (simulated) game of 1-of-1.
But now it’s time to really up the ante and get fantastical by finding out how a TEAM of LeBrons vs Jordans would get on.
Using popular video game series NBA2K, YouTuber Clique Productions simulated a championship series between the Bulls and Lakers made entirely of 99 rated overall LeBrons and Jordans.
The YouTuber made each quarter a minute in length, meaning each game is four minutes long, across a seven-game series — just like the real life NBA Finals.
Game 1 tips off inside Crypto.com Arena and goes to overtime after Jordan scores late on in regulation to make it 10-10.
King James makes two baskets and a free throw in OT to claim a 15-13 victory.
Game 1 to LeBron.
Game 2 is another back-and-forth that goes to OT. Jordan outscores his opponent to clinch a 13-8 victory and ties the series at 1-1.
Jordan and LeBron were pitted against each other in a virtual 5 vs 5YouTube@CliqueProductions
MJ tied the series at 1-1 with an impressive scoring outputYouTube@CliqueProductions
Game 3 comes from United Center in Chicago with the Bulls taking home court advantage.
Four-time champion LeBron ices the game with two free throws in the clutch to come up with a huge 12-10 road win.
Game 4 sees the visiting Lakers, now 2-1 up in the first-to-four-series, jump out to a 9-2 lead.
The Purple & Gold run away with it in the second half, blowing out MJ’s Bulls 15-4 to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
With their backs against the ropes, Jordan’s Bulls come out fighting in Game 5 in LA.
They take a 5-4 lead as LeBron looks to close out the series and claim another world championship ring.
James used his size and strength to his advantage throughoutYouTube@CliqueProductions
The games were close but the series was notYouTube@CliqueProductions
James responds in the second half with two layups and a big time block on a Jordan mid-range with 27 seconds to go.
He clinches Game 5 with a free throw and just like that the series is over, 4-1 to LeBron.
Animations show confetti raining down over the many different LeBrons as they celebrate and hoist the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy together.
The Lakers win the virtual title over Air Jordan, and in the end it was never really that close.
James (6ft 9in, 250 lbs) used his size and weight to his advantage throughout the series, and was simply far too physical for the 6ft 6in, 216 lbs Jordan.
The LeBrons crashed to the floor as they celebrated the championshipYouTube@CliqueProductions
The James army celebrated togetherYouTube@CliqueProductions
The three inch height advantage made all the difference as LeBron was able to make timely stops and rebounds on the defensive end, before bullying MJ in the post on the other end.
James’ low post moves proved impossible to stop and he was able to make easy buckets from under the basket.
Jordan, meanwhile, had to work much harder for his buckets, relying on tough fadeaways or his speed and athleticism to blow past the more physically imposing James.
In the end, it was a challenge not even the six-time Finals MVP could overcome.
The result obviously won’t have any bearing on either man’s legacy, but it is a fun way to see how their relative strengths and weaknesses would play out if they could face each other.
