Jordan vs lebron one on one

[xxSnEaKyPxx]

We have a stickied thread for people who want to talk about LeBron/Jordan all day, every day, for the rest of eternity.

I thought we were finally done with these threads.

[Kobe187]

1-on-1 the bigger player usually wins if both are similar in talent, but when rebounding is taken out of the equation and you’re checking up after every attempt that advantage gets mostly nullified. Mike is 6’6, James is 6’8 so not a huge size difference. Jordan was unbelievably strong (surprising to most of his opponents) and defended low post exceptionally well but James is a beast so strength advantage probably goes to James by a hair, quickness goes to Jordan and it’s not even close, he would leave James flat footed on most possessions. MJ was dunking over Bigs like it was nothing while picking pockets and even blocking shots in the low post. 1-on-1 iso scoring and defending Jordan was arguably the best ever, his skillset and toolbox was far superior in the iso game and Jordan easily takes this. Jordan went undefeated 1-on-1 in the entire 90’s, and it’s talked about a lot which just adds to his Aura whereas LeBron’s known to have lost his fair share and admits he’s not a great 1-on-1 player.

Jordan - Legendary Scoring & Defending
James - Elite Versatility & Playmaking

2 greats, 2 different styles. Jordan will score if he’s not double teamed or doesn’t have help defence collapsing quickly as he blows by his opponent. You have to force the ball out of his hands and focus heavily on him defensively as a team. James will score on a fast break or off a pick’n’roll or off a back door cut etc. but has a tough time scoring in iso if he’s forced to do so and excels with a Kyrie/Wade type that can score in isolation if the offence stops flowing or gets stagnant.

[dhsilv2]

One on one's almost always favor the stronger and taller guy. This is lebron...not sure why it matters. hakeem is likely the GOAT one on one guy. Doesn't make him a great offensive player imo. But you can't really stop someone like him.

[Kobe187]

One on one's almost always favor the stronger and taller guy. This is lebron...not sure why it matters. hakeem is likely the GOAT one on one guy. Doesn't make him a great offensive player imo. But you can't really stop someone like him.

Jordan toyed with Hakeem and made him look useless. Love Hakeem the Dream but Jordan was just too good.

https://youtu.be/pRc4d3Mth80?si=iZB69uhl2XjDkUPF

[TorontoBarneys]

MJ would cook him easily. LeBron is physically dominant but gets mogged skills-wise.

[HighFlyer23]

One on one's almost always favor the stronger and taller guy. This is lebron...not sure why it matters. hakeem is likely the GOAT one on one guy. Doesn't make him a great offensive player imo. But you can't really stop someone like him.

Jordan toyed with Hakeem and made him look useless. Love Hakeem the Dream but Jordan was just too good.

https://youtu.be/pRc4d3Mth80?si=iZB69uhl2XjDkUPF

Um lol?

These are all cherry picked plays

Hakeem got the better of Jordan many times too and has a winning record against Jordan

[hardenASG13]

One on one is actually a really terrible test of who’s a better basketball player.

A center who has one unstoppable post move that works every time could beat anybody, including Michael Jordan, one on one… but at the same time he could also not be good enough at basketball to make the NBA.

Michael Jordan or anybody with any sense draws their defender out of the post. How are they going to defend Jordan, Lebron, or X player in that case? Once they're out of the post it's easy eork for both Jordan and Lebron. Jordan shots the automatic jumper or drives in same, Lebron does his signature drive inside, and they're both unstoppable.

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It doesn’t matter. They don’t have to defend them. Your opponent can score almost every time in one on one, if you score actually every time you still win. We’ve seen Lebron at this current age when he’s at his biggest and strongest in his career and he still got absolutely smashed in the post by Jokic. Now imagine an even bigger and stronger dude like Zach Edey. Lebron just gets dunked on every time.

A guard or forward has no chance against a huge center in the hypothetical all time one on one tournament. It’s not MJ or Lebron, it’s Shaq or Wilt. They would win without much difficulty, it’s more about physics than it is about basketball.

A giant center would struggle to even regularly get into the post, it's not like they'd have someone throwing them the ball on a post up. It wouldnt be as simple as just backing into the paint and turning and dunking it, especially on Lebron who weighs around 260. They'd have to dribble it down there. Meanwhile they'd get beat to the basket at will, or need to back way off on the perimeter where they'd get torched. Like, Zach Edey couldn't beat either of those guys one on one. Certainly a center who isn't in the NBA wouldn't be able to either, they'd get demolished.

[og15]

Not a goat debate

Just a question

Under any circumstances or rules or format, I'm going with Jordan. Unless your putting prime lebron against a 40 year old MJ or an injured MJ or something like that.

A lot of us on this forum grew up playing one on one and see it as the ultimate test to see who is the superior player. Granted basketball is a 5 on 5 organized team sport, one on one is still the test to see who is better between two individuals. You may agree or not agree but this is how a lot of people think.

Do we though? It's certainly the ultimate test to see who is the best in 1v1, but I can't say at any point after like 13 years old I'd considered it a means of determining who is the superior player lol

Nah if you play on the playground one on one is still used to settle stuff like who is the better player .... Even as adults lol. You can't hide in one on one and usually the more mentally tough and aggressive guy wins if they are at parity or close to it.

MJ is the type to assert dominance and one on one is the best way to do it .... And he's known for beating guys one on one ... Never heard of lebron playing one on one except the time he lost to that random dude in horse and that's not true one on one

Organized team basketball is obviously different from playground ball or streetball.

I didn't say "no one thinks this anymore", yea, there are definitely people who think that, but I disagree lol.

That doesn't mean 1v1 isn't fun or anything though, it is.

Here's a fun one:

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=ALLTHESMOKE

[og15]

Michael Jordan or anybody with any sense draws their defender out of the post. How are they going to defend Jordan, Lebron, or X player in that case? Once they're out of the post it's easy eork for both Jordan and Lebron. Jordan shots the automatic jumper or drives in same, Lebron does his signature drive inside, and they're both unstoppable.

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It doesn’t matter. They don’t have to defend them. Your opponent can score almost every time in one on one, if you score actually every time you still win. We’ve seen Lebron at this current age when he’s at his biggest and strongest in his career and he still got absolutely smashed in the post by Jokic. Now imagine an even bigger and stronger dude like Zach Edey. Lebron just gets dunked on every time.

A guard or forward has no chance against a huge center in the hypothetical all time one on one tournament. It’s not MJ or Lebron, it’s Shaq or Wilt. They would win without much difficulty, it’s more about physics than it is about basketball.

A giant center would struggle to even regularly get into the post, it's not like they'd have someone throwing them the ball on a post up. It wouldnt be as simple as just backing into the paint and turning and dunking it, especially on Lebron who weighs around 260. They'd have to dribble it down there. Meanwhile they'd get beat to the basket at will, or need to back way off on the perimeter where they'd get torched. Like, Zach Edey couldn't beat either of those guys one on one. Certainly a center who isn't in the NBA wouldn't be able to either, they'd get demolished.

Considering the examples used here were "Wilt and Shaq", that's a different situation and not a center who isn't in the NBA.

The thing about dribbling in 1v1 vs dribbling in 5v5 is that how good your handles need to be when you have the whole court is TOTALLY different from how good your handles need to be when you have to attack lanes. These big guys, if there's no dribble limit will get to their spots because there are no extra hands trying to poke at the ball. If the size advantage is too large and then you are trying to fight back excessively, you will also risk diminishing your own stamina too.

That's Kareem vs Dr. J when they were post NBA:

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=Lapaginadelcestista

In the video I linked to in my earlier post, KG who, yes, has better handles than many bigs, but he mentions the reality of 1v1. "I have the whole court, so I can get to my spots".

[dhsilv2]

One on one's almost always favor the stronger and taller guy. This is lebron...not sure why it matters. hakeem is likely the GOAT one on one guy. Doesn't make him a great offensive player imo. But you can't really stop someone like him.

Jordan toyed with Hakeem and made him look useless. Love Hakeem the Dream but Jordan was just too good.

This is a 5 on 5 game...

[og15]

One on one's almost always favor the stronger and taller guy. This is lebron...not sure why it matters. hakeem is likely the GOAT one on one guy. Doesn't make him a great offensive player imo. But you can't really stop someone like him.

Jordan toyed with Hakeem and made him look useless. Love Hakeem the Dream but Jordan was just too good.

https://youtu.be/pRc4d3Mth80?si=iZB69uhl2XjDkUPF

What does any of that have to do with 1v1 though? For example, we have plays of Jordan as the HELP defender getting strips and blocks. The biggest advantage bigs have in 1v1 is that their lack of tighter handles become almost irrelevant because there's no help defender. The primary defender can do things like gamble for a steal, but you miss and they have a straight path for a dunk. So most people will stay behind and do some reaching and hope, but a big body can just crab dribble you back without concern that anyone else is coming.

In a real game a small on a big can take different gambles because they know there can be help still.

[Harry Garris]

Michael Jordan or anybody with any sense draws their defender out of the post. How are they going to defend Jordan, Lebron, or X player in that case? Once they're out of the post it's easy eork for both Jordan and Lebron. Jordan shots the automatic jumper or drives in same, Lebron does his signature drive inside, and they're both unstoppable.

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It doesn’t matter. They don’t have to defend them. Your opponent can score almost every time in one on one, if you score actually every time you still win. We’ve seen Lebron at this current age when he’s at his biggest and strongest in his career and he still got absolutely smashed in the post by Jokic. Now imagine an even bigger and stronger dude like Zach Edey. Lebron just gets dunked on every time.

A guard or forward has no chance against a huge center in the hypothetical all time one on one tournament. It’s not MJ or Lebron, it’s Shaq or Wilt. They would win without much difficulty, it’s more about physics than it is about basketball.

A giant center would struggle to even regularly get into the post, it's not like they'd have someone throwing them the ball on a post up. It wouldnt be as simple as just backing into the paint and turning and dunking it, especially on Lebron who weighs around 260. They'd have to dribble it down there. Meanwhile they'd get beat to the basket at will, or need to back way off on the perimeter where they'd get torched. Like, Zach Edey couldn't beat either of those guys one on one. Certainly a center who isn't in the NBA wouldn't be able to either, they'd get demolished.

Zach Edey could easily beat Lebron one on one. I really don't think you're conceptualizing what this matchup would look like physically. Have you ever in a game had to defend someone who was significantly larger and heavier than you? Even if you have, it probably wasn't anywhere close to the discrepancy between Lebron and Zach Edey.

I had to defend a dude in a game recently who was probably 5 inches taller and had 70 pounds of weight on me. It wasn't one on one but he caught the ball in the high post and backed me all the way down to the basket several times. I had literally zero chance of stopping him from scoring. It didn't matter that I was technically more skilled at basketball or had a better jumper than he did, we could have played 100 games of one on one and he would have won all 100.

And again the difference between me and this dude who I had no chance of stopping because he was so much bigger is still smaller than the discrepancy between Lebron and Edey. It would be like your dad against you when you were in 7th grade. Your dad doesn't have to be good at basketball to absolutely demolish you, my dad sucks at basketball and yet he beat me every time when I was a kid. He just wins because he's bigger and stronger.

[EmpireFalls]

prime Al Jefferson owns both of them so what does it matter.

[Bash1676]

Honestly, one on one is just about who's bigger and who can back down the other player better LOL. Bron has the strength advantage so he would probably win.

You are forgetting that he got guarded in the finals by the jet when the Mavericks played them in the finals. Jordan will alienate him. Jordan was a ferocious defender and lebron at best,plays defense in spurts and not a baseline to baseline defender. The occasional chase down blocks is good for Tv,but there are more nuances to defense that highlight reels blocks. There is a reason the lakers have not been able to beat the nuggets since Dwight Howard left. If you can look past Howard theatrics, he was one of the best defender the game has ever seen. Am not a fan of his constant malcontent behaviors at various stops,but he was a beast defensively. It's a travesty Antonio Davis,whom I love his game, made the NBA best 75 players and Dwight didn't. Dwight took a team on his shoulder to the finals. That gotta count for something. Davis won a ring with the lakers,but he had Lebron and even, Dwight Howard on that team.

[Meat]

Honestly, one on one is just about who's bigger and who can back down the other player better LOL. Bron has the strength advantage so he would probably win.

You are forgetting that he got guarded in the finals by the jet when the Mavericks played them in the finals. Jordan will alienate him. Jordan was a ferocious defender and lebron at best,plays defense in spurts and not a baseline to baseline defender. The occasional chase down blocks is good for Tv,but there are more nuances to defense that highlight reels blocks. There is a reason the lakers have not been able to beat the nuggets since Dwight Howard left. If you can look past Howard theatrics, he was one of the best defender the game has ever seen. Am not a fan of his constant malcontent behaviors at various stops,but he was a beast defensively. It's a travesty Antonio Davis,whom I love his game, made the NBA best 75 players and Dwight didn't. Dwight took a team on his shoulder to the finals. That gotta count for something. Davis won a ring with the lakers,but he had Lebron and even, Dwight Howard on that team.

dale was better

[OdomFan]

Jordan wins. Lebron has no body to pass to and Michael would be all over him using his quickness to steal the ball. Lebrons chase down block wont work on him.

[dshearn]

I am always pretty vocal anti-lebron on the MJ vs Lebron stuff....but in this case...1 on 1.....ehhhhh....

The Problem is I watched Prime Lebron shut down Prime Derrick Rose

I think Lebron is more likely to affect MJ on defense, then I think MJ will affect Lebron

So while I dont think anyone is going to "beat" the other....I could see how this leans in LBJ's direction.

[hardenASG13]

It doesn’t matter. They don’t have to defend them. Your opponent can score almost every time in one on one, if you score actually every time you still win. We’ve seen Lebron at this current age when he’s at his biggest and strongest in his career and he still got absolutely smashed in the post by Jokic. Now imagine an even bigger and stronger dude like Zach Edey. Lebron just gets dunked on every time.

A guard or forward has no chance against a huge center in the hypothetical all time one on one tournament. It’s not MJ or Lebron, it’s Shaq or Wilt. They would win without much difficulty, it’s more about physics than it is about basketball.

A giant center would struggle to even regularly get into the post, it's not like they'd have someone throwing them the ball on a post up. It wouldnt be as simple as just backing into the paint and turning and dunking it, especially on Lebron who weighs around 260. They'd have to dribble it down there. Meanwhile they'd get beat to the basket at will, or need to back way off on the perimeter where they'd get torched. Like, Zach Edey couldn't beat either of those guys one on one. Certainly a center who isn't in the NBA wouldn't be able to either, they'd get demolished.

Zach Edey could easily beat Lebron one on one. I really don't think you're conceptualizing what this matchup would look like physically. Have you ever in a game had to defend someone who was significantly larger and heavier than you? Even if you have, it probably wasn't anywhere close to the discrepancy between Lebron and Zach Edey.

I had to defend a dude in a game recently who was probably 5 inches taller and had 70 pounds of weight on me. It wasn't one on one but he caught the ball in the high post and backed me all the way down to the basket several times. I had literally zero chance of stopping him from scoring. It didn't matter that I was technically more skilled at basketball or had a better jumper than he did, we could have played 100 games of one on one and he would have won all 100.

And again the difference between me and this dude who I had no chance of stopping because he was so much bigger is still smaller than the discrepancy between Lebron and Edey. It would be like your dad against you when you were in 7th grade. Your dad doesn't have to be good at basketball to absolutely demolish you, my dad sucks at basketball and yet he beat me every time when I was a kid. He just wins because he's bigger and stronger.

I disagree, I think a guy like Lebron or MJ would pick Edeys pocket when he's trying to back down. And yes I've guarded guys taller or heavier than me, though I am 6'6. It's tough, no question, but not impossible. Nor am I as quick, strong, or skilled as MJ or Lebron obviously. I think Lebron or MJ would score at will as well

[UglyBugBall]

40 year old Lebron and prime MJ would be about equal. Anything else MJ wouldn’t last. You may agree or disagree but that’s how people see it.

Poll suggests only you see it that way. Time to get informed bud, otherwise what are you doing here?

[prophet_of_rage]

MJ did not.play one on one in his prime becauae of the reputational hit if he lost. Remember he lost yo the accountant playing at the accountant's speed.

MJ couldn't guard Carmelo. He isn't guarding Lebron.

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