Kareem vs LeBron year by year

[Narigo]

Who's better year by year in their prime

1971 Kareem-2009 LeBron
1972 Kareem-2010 LeBron
1973 Kareem-2011 LeBron
1974 Kareem-2012 LeBron
1975 Kareem-2013 LeBron
1976 Kareem-2014 LeBron
1977 Kareem-2015 LeBron
1978 Kareem-2016 LeBron
1979 Kareem-2017 LeBron
1980 Kareem-2018 LeBron
1981 Kareem-2020 LeBron

[rk2023]

Who's better year by year in their prime

1971 Kareem-2009 LeBron
1972 Kareem-2010 LeBron
1973 Kareem-2011 LeBron
1974 Kareem-2012 LeBron
1975 Kareem-2013 LeBron
1976 Kareem-2014 LeBron
1977 Kareem-2015 LeBron
1978 Kareem-2016 LeBron
1979 Kareem-2017 LeBron
1980 Kareem-2018 LeBron
1981 Kareem-2020 LeBron

2009 >
2010 >
1973 >
2012 >
2013 >>
2014 >
1977 >>
2016 >
2017 >
2018 (close)
2020 >

Not included, but I would take 1970 over 2008 (and anything before that ofc).

[homecourtloss]

Who's better year by year in their prime

1971 Kareem-2009 LeBron
1972 Kareem-2010 LeBron
1973 Kareem-2011 LeBron
1974 Kareem-2012 LeBron
1975 Kareem-2013 LeBron
1976 Kareem-2014 LeBron
1977 Kareem-2015 LeBron
1978 Kareem-2016 LeBron
1979 Kareem-2017 LeBron
1980 Kareem-2018 LeBron
1981 Kareem-2020 LeBron

2009 >
2010 >
1973 >
2012 >
2013 >>
2014 >
1977 >>
2016 >
2017 >
2018 (close)
2020 >

Not included, but I would take 1970 over 2008 (and anything before that ofc).

I pretty much agree with this list here, which isn’t really fair to someone as great as Kareem.

Perhaps start LeBron at 2007, include 2019, and take Kareem up to 1984 or even 1985 (add 2021 to LeBron).

[70sFan]

1971 Kareem-2009 LeBron
1972 Kareem-2010 LeBron
1973 Kareem-2011 LeBron
1974 Kareem-2012 LeBron TIE
1975 Kareem-2013 LeBron
1976 Kareem-2014 LeBron
1977 Kareem-2015 LeBron
1978 Kareem-2016 LeBron
1979 Kareem-2017 LeBron
1980 Kareem-2018 LeBron
1981 Kareem-2020 LeBron

6-4 in favor of LeBron, but some of these comparisons (like 1979 vs 2017 or 1976 vs 2014) are very close to me.

[rk2023]

Who's better year by year in their prime

1971 Kareem-2009 LeBron
1972 Kareem-2010 LeBron
1973 Kareem-2011 LeBron
1974 Kareem-2012 LeBron
1975 Kareem-2013 LeBron
1976 Kareem-2014 LeBron
1977 Kareem-2015 LeBron
1978 Kareem-2016 LeBron
1979 Kareem-2017 LeBron
1980 Kareem-2018 LeBron
1981 Kareem-2020 LeBron

2009 >
2010 >
1973 >
2012 >
2013 >>
2014 >
1977 >>
2016 >
2017 >
2018 (close)
2020 >

Not included, but I would take 1970 over 2008 (and anything before that ofc).

I pretty much agree with this list here, which isn’t really fair to someone as great as Kareem.

Perhaps start LeBron at 2007, include 2019, and take Kareem up to 1984 or even 1985 (add 2021 to LeBron).

It’s pretty nutty in the sense that on top of the chosen years, both still have 8 more campaigns to work with.

[homecourtloss]

2009 >
2010 >
1973 >
2012 >
2013 >>
2014 >
1977 >>
2016 >
2017 >
2018 (close)
2020 >

Not included, but I would take 1970 over 2008 (and anything before that ofc).

I pretty much agree with this list here, which isn’t really fair to someone as great as Kareem.

Perhaps start LeBron at 2007, include 2019, and take Kareem up to 1984 or even 1985 (add 2021 to LeBron).

It’s pretty nutty in the sense that on top of the chosen years, both still have 8 more campaigns to work with.

It really is. To me, longevity is an indicator of player’s resiliency regardless of league environment, rules changes, etc., and/or his ability to adapt. It’s always frustrating to see posters on the GB or even here sometimes equate longevity with playing a long time. A player who has been able to continually have winning impact and effect championship odds increase of a team through multiple different NBA environments, rules, rosters, coaching, etc., must either have a game/qualities that are highly resilient and/or be highly adaptable. Being able to do so in and of itself is a testament to the player’s game resiliency in the face of changing environments and/or the players ability to adjust to any environment/era. Being able to do so it’s a testament to player’s greatness.

Look at Kareem. He has a GOATish peak but also has a game that regardless of era or rules was so effective that he provided championship odds increasing impact into his late 30s. I go back to the little variance in his scoring from game to game. You knew how he was going to score, but you couldn’t do anything about it, which engendered GOATish longevity.

Look at James. James’s longevity’s catalyst is his ability to adjust his game in so many ways and roster constructions in vastly different playing style eras, which is impressive, and a testament to his ability to impact the game in so many different ways, whether that is though quarterbacking defenses, providing rim pressure, scoring inside, shooting, playmaking in a defensive era with two bigs, playmaking in a five out offense, playmaking and scoring with great efficiency in vastly different leagues, i.e., late 2000s versus pace and space of the 2020s, etc.

Kareem’s longevity is engendered by the fact that there is no answer to him regardless of playing era, and LeBron’s by the fact that he will adjust his game to provide winning impact regardless of era, rules (including playing with two bigs in pace and space era.

These players have GOAT type peaks, GOAT type primes, and also GOAT type longevity.

[rk2023]

I pretty much agree with this list here, which isn’t really fair to someone as great as Kareem.

Perhaps start LeBron at 2007, include 2019, and take Kareem up to 1984 or even 1985 (add 2021 to LeBron).

It’s pretty nutty in the sense that on top of the chosen years, both still have 8 more campaigns to work with.

It really is. To me, longevity is an indicator of player’s resiliency regardless of league environment, rules changes, etc., and/or his ability to adapt. It’s always frustrating to see posters on the GB or even here sometimes equate longevity with playing a long time. A player who has been able to continually have winning impact and effect championship odds increase of a team through multiple different NBA environments, rules, rosters, coaching, etc., must either have a game/qualities that are highly resilient and/or be highly adaptable. Being able to do so in and of itself is a testament to the player’s game resiliency in the face of changing environments and/or the players ability to adjust to any environment/era. Being able to do so it’s a testament to player’s greatness.

Look at Kareem. He has a GOATish peak but also has a game that regardless of era or rules was so effective that he provided championship odds increasing impact into his late 30s. I go back to the little variance in his scoring from game to game. You knew how he was going to score, but you couldn’t do anything about it, which engendered GOATish longevity.

Look at James. James’s longevity’s catalyst is his ability to adjust his game in so many ways and roster constructions in vastly different playing style eras, which is impressive, and a testament to his ability to impact the game in so many different ways, whether that is though quarterbacking defenses, providing rim pressure, scoring inside, shooting, playmaking in a defensive era with two bigs, playmaking in a five out offense, playmaking and scoring with great efficiency in vastly different leagues, i.e., late 2000s versus pace and space of the 2020s, etc.

Kareem’s longevity is engendered by the fact that there is no answer to him regardless of playing era, and LeBron’s by the fact that he will adjust his game to provide winning impact regardless of era, rules (including playing with two bigs in pace and space era.

These players have GOAT type peaks, GOAT type primes, and also GOAT type longevity.

Right. There's a fine-line between "being around for a long time" and maintaining a certain level of high-impact play for a long-time and play at unprecedented levels for a given age. When people are against the latter, it seems they just want to argue semantics and come in with an agenda rather than unbiased discussion