The debate over who the real GOAT of basketball is remains as one of the most controversial questions in the entire world of sports, but the answer is quite clear: Michael Jordan, not LeBron James, is the best basketball player of all-time. Those who don’t really know basketball may disagree, but anyone who actually knows and is around basketball understands this to be self-evident and true.

To fully understand the greatness of Michael Jordan and why he is a superior basketball player in contrast to LeBron James, let’s take a look at some of the clear-cut determining factors: stats. First, Michael Jordan is a better scorer than LeBron James. Jordan has ten scoring titles to James’ one. On the defensive end, Jordan has nine All-Defense first-team titles to LeBron’s five. Jordan also has three steals titles and LeBron has a big goose egg. Michael Jordan’s game is much more well-rounded than LeBron James’. Jordan is a complete player on both the offensive end and the defensive end. Another statistic that may come as a shock to people who think LeBron is better is that LeBron James has never had to defeat three teams with fifty wins or two teams with sixty wins in any playoff run. Jordan’s Chicago Bulls did this in five 0f their six championship seasons. In other words, LeBron’s road to the NBA Finals was immensely easier than Michael Jordan’s.  Numbers do not lie, and Michael Jordan’s stats are far superior to those of LeBron James. It is difficult to say that LeBron is better when Michael Jordan has both more regular season MVP awards (five to James’ three) and NBA Finals MVP awards (six to James’ four).

What is even more impressive is that Michael Jordan was able to put together a better basketball resumé and prove that he was a better player in both a shorter timespan and a better era of basketball. In Jordan’s era, teams prided themselves on defense and were much better and tougher. In today’s NBA, nobody tries on defense, and it is easy to collect stats. LeBron would not have been nearly as impressive of a player in Michael Jordan’s era of the NBA.

On top of all of this, being a great player means that you can be trusted in crunch time and that you deliver when you are needed. This sounds exactly like Michael Jordan and describes the opposite of LeBron James. LeBron James has twice as many turnovers in the NBA Finals than Michael Jordan and is 0-6 when it comes to attempting to tie or win the NBA Finals in the final twenty-five seconds. Michael is 4-8, an immaculate fifty percent when the game is on the line. Keeping an emphasis on the NBA Finals, Michael Jordan was never outscored by an opposing team’s bench player, while LeBron did, which is pretty embarrassing if you ask me. LeBron can not be trusted to perform on the biggest stage, and he chokes when the spotlight is on him. LeBron James once told reporters before a game that he was the best player in the world, and then he proceeded to go thirteen for thirty-two that day. These are not the numbers you would expect to see from the “greatest player in the world”.

Michael Jordan is the better defender, better shooter, better clutch player, better teammate, better passer, more humble and overall just a better player than LeBron James. This controversial debate comes up way too much even though there is clearly a definite answer. The debate over who is the best of all time needs to be settled once and for all and the answer is simple: Michael Jeffrey Jordan.