Jordan: Kobe's better than LeBron, I'm better than both
Michael Jordan knows a thing or two about greatness.
The Chicago Bulls legend was asked to compare two other basketball players who are often mentioned in the conversation with him among the best hoopers ever.
"Would I rank LeBron (James) over Kobe (Bryant) in terms of best of all time? No," the 54-year-old replied Monday at his Flight School in Santa Barbara, Calif., via Bay Area HQ.
"There's something about five that beats three. ... Kobe won five championships. LeBron won three."
His Airness was next asked where he places himself relative to the duo.
"Do I think I'm better than Kobe? He's like a little brother," Jordan said, before following up with the child who asked him the question.
"Do you have a little brother? You have a big brother. You think you're better than your big brother? See? I think I'm better than him."
Jordan's criteria adds up there, since his six rings trump Bryant's five.
And here's a clip of MJ boasting about his titles to the Los Angeles Lakers icon during an All-Star Game back when Bryant had three:
MJ bragging about his 6 rings to Kobe in an All-Star game 🙌 pic.twitter.com/OvQAUtvVUn
— Because I'm a Guy (@CauseWereGuys) January 7, 2016
Ring count aside, MJ was superior to Kobe in nearly every statistical facet of the game. Here's a glance at their career stats, along with LeBron's:
| PLAYER | YRS | G | PPG | RPG | APG | TS% | PER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan | 15 | 1072 | 30.1 | 6.2 | 5.3 | 56.9 | 27.9 |
| Bryant | 20 | 1346 | 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 55 | 22.9 |
| James | 14 | 1061 | 27.1 | 7.3 | 7 | 58.4 | 27.6 |
It's worth noting that James is still playing and going strong, while the other two are retired. It's possible the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar, who's reached seven consecutive NBA Finals, could collect more championships before it's all said and done, and make Jordan reconsider his stance.
It's no secret that James is chasing Jordan's ghost, having set a personal goal to match the Hall of Famer's legacy.