LeBron James has made such an impact on the NBA that he drew comparisons with Michael Jordan, a legend who set the bar incredibly high for the rest. Of course, one of the most popular questions within the basketball community is whether The King or MJ is the GOAT.
Jordan made a strong case to be considered the best to ever play the game during his successful stint with the Chicago Bulls in the 90s, but the outlook hasn’t been the same since LeBron stepped in.
Former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy had a surprising take on this debate. While many believe Jordan had a better career than LeBron, but James was a better player, Van Gundy thinks it’s the other way around.
Who has more rings, Michael Jordan or LeBron James?
Michael Jordan has won six NBA championships, two more than LeBron James, who has so far collected four rings.
“It’s fine if you want to tell me that Michael Jordan was a better basketball player than LeBron James, that’s fine,” Van Gundy said. “You can make a case for that. What you can’t make a case for is that Michael Jordan had a better career than LeBron James. You can’t make a case for that.“
MJ won all his six Finals with the Bulls, while The King won titles with three different teams (Heat, Cavaliers, Lakers) and lost six Finals. Jordan also has more MVP and Finals MVP awards, but Van Gundy prefers James’ résumé.