For years, members of the media have been frantically trying to find the next Michael Jordan.  Just over a decade ago, Harold Minor from the Miami Heat was tabbed "Baby Jordan" in his early days, but after a couple of flashy victories in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest (in 1993 and 1995), Minor's career quickly fizzled out and he later disappeared quietly from the NBA.  Then there was Kobe Bryant.  At some points in his career, Kobe has also been compared to Michael Jordan.  However, no matter what anyone says, when playing for the Lakers, Kobe was living in Shaq's shadow.  Until Kobe can bring home a title without Shaquille O'Neal, he will be just another high-paid NBA player.  Three years ago, LeBron James landed on the NBA scene and has already made a name for himself in the league.  However, should James be tabbed as the next Jordan, or instead take on his own image and be a new legend alongside of Michael Jordan?  I believe the latter in this case.  The question remains... which player has performed better in the early years of his career?  Is it Michael Jordan or LeBron James? 

Who is the better #23? 

Will anyone ever match the career of Michael Jordan?

A former North Carolina Tar Heel, Michael Jordan stormed onto the NBA scene as a rookie during the 1984-1985 season.  Not only was Michael Jordan a human highlight reel (for dunks) and an explosive offensive player, but also very much an above average player on the defensive side of the ball.  Among some of the highlights of Michael's masterful career include ten NBA scoring titles, six NBA championship titles (all with the Chicago Bulls), six NBA Finals MVP awards, and an overall career scoring average over 30 points a game (the highest in NBA history).  Jordan was also named to the All-NBA First team ten different times and the NBA All-Defensive Team nine separate times.  Even after listing all these various accomplishments, I am still only touching the surface of Jordan's career.  Is it possible for a future star in the NBA to match all of his accomplishments? 

When his career is over, where will LeBron James stand among the NBA legends?

If anyone will have a shot to match the career accomplishments of Michael Jordan, LeBron James is the guy.  James is certainly off to a fast start, and it doesn't hurt to start piling up the stats while playing in the NBA as a teenager.  Due to his age, James has already set some new records in the NBA, including the youngest player to win the NBA All-Star Game MVP, youngest to win the Rookie of the Year award, and the fastest to score 1,000 points (as well as 2,000 - 6,000 points).  In his rookie year, James injected life into a struggling Cleveland franchise.  In fact, the Cavaliers more than doubled their win total (from 17 to 35) during LeBron's rookie season.  James has definitely developed into a star in the NBA, and should continue to be for years to come.  How should LeBron's career be compared to that of Michael Jordan?   

Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Comparing the two players

To further analyze who deserves to earn the award as the better #23, one could look at a number of different statistical categories for James and Jordan, including individual offensive performance (in each of their first three full NBA seasons), individual defensive performance in each of their first three seasons, performance compared to other NBA players during each player's time, overall career performance, overall team performance, team and player playoff history, awards received, and finally, a non-basketball off the court comparison.  Overall, it is apparent that both players are extremely talented and certainly have changed the game of basketball in various ways.  Since each opened his career during a different decade, the best way to compare the two players is via their overall statistical performance.

Individual offensive performance (first three full NBA seasons)

Both LeBron James and Michael Jordan are/were explosive offensive players with great playmaking ability, and have/had the ability to change a game in an instant.  While some players start slow and need time to learn and grow within the NBA, Jordan and James started off their careers with a bang.  In each player's first career game, Jordan notched 16 points while James scored 25 points.  Both players not only went on to win the Rookie of the Year award, but also joined former NBA great Oscar Robertson as the only players to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game in their opening season.  In addition, take into consideration the following statistical comparison, which states each player's season averages for field goal percentage (FG%), three point field goal percentage (3PT%), free throw percentage (FT%), offensive rebounds per game (ORPG), assists per game (APG), points per game (PPG), and turnovers (TO).

Offensive regular season statistics (the early years)

Jordan broke a bone in his foot during the 1985-1986 season, limiting him to only 18 games.  Therefore, I also added his fourth NBA season into the mix for comparison.  Overall, the edge goes to Jordan for free throws, offensive rebounds, field goal percentage, and points per game.  On the other hand, James has the edge in assists per game and three point percentage.  Turnovers are almost too close to call.  Therefore, in the early seasons, Jordan has the slight edge statistically, but not by much. 

ADVANTAGE: Michael Jordan

Individual defensive performance (first three NBA seasons)

Both Michael Jordan and LeBron James are not only great offensive players, but also above average on defense.  To further show that this is the case, here is a statistical comparison between the two players in each of their first three seasons.  The statistics cover the statistical categories of defensive rebounds per game (DRPG), total rebounds per game (TRPG), steals per game (SPG), and blocks per game (BPG).

Defensive regular season statistics (the early years)