Getty Michael Jordan holds the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player trophy and former Chicago Bulls head coach Phil Jackson holds the NBA champions Larry O'Brian trophy after winning game six of the NBA Finals with the Utah Jazz.
The debate on whether Michael Jordan is better than LeBron James or vice versa has been growing in recent years.
According to NBA Hall of Famer, Julius Erving, that is a debate for fans and not players.
“I think it’s the fans argument, not the players argument,” Erving told me on the Scoop B Radio Podcast.
“So I stay away from it. My all time greatest player is Kareem Abdul Jabbar.”
“I think when you add up the numbers and add up the years nobody has contributed more to the NBA history or pro basketball history. It’s very subjective.”
Many have argued that the measuring stick between James and Jordan is the number of championships won.
Jordan has won six and James has won three.
GettyLeBron James and Dwayne Wade embrace after going head to head for the last time.
“I think people always make comparisons to people who are done,” says Dr. J.
“LeBron may play another six years, LeBron may play one year we don’t really know. You say: ‘Michael or LeBron who was better’ or who was the greatest, the GOAT, that is for the fans to argue about.”
Erving also tells Scoop B Radio that the ‘best ever’ arguments have gone on forever.
In fact, he remembers those conversations being had even when he played.
“My early years I was inspired by players and comparisons were made with Elgin Baylor, probably number one, Connie Hawkins; next in that lineage,” he said.
Ever the one to honor basketball’s rich history, James honored Dr. Julius Erving on his birthday. (Instagram)
“There were other guys that were high jumpers, “Jumpin’ Johnny” Green, those were the three that came up the most often in terms of the comparisons; wasn’t exactly the same as theirs [MJ and LeBron] but there were definitely real comparisons to be made.”