SUMMARY
- LeBron James has a better field goal and 3 pointer percentage compared to Michael Jordan.
- MJ is still considered to be more clutch and the better free throw shooter.
The comparisons between LeBron James and Michael Jordan continue to generate interest among NBA fans as the infamous GOAT debate still generates attention. To the very few who might not be aware, both LeBron and Jordan are NBA legends and two of the greatest players in the history of the league. Since fans show a tendency to compare stars in order to hold one above the other, the GOAT debate has continued for several years.
While there are several aspects and accomplishments in the game that can be used as yardsticks to compare LeBron and MJ, their shooting abilities and statistics require a greater deal of attention. After all, shooting basketball is a crucial ability to find success in the NBA. With that being said, let us compare the shooting stats put up by both of them in order to find out who is the better shooter.
LeBron James is better than Michael Jordan in field goal percentage and three-point shots
It might surprise the more veteran NBA fans to hear that LeBron James has a better field goal percentage when compared to Micahel Jordan. In his 15-season-long NBA career, Jordan made 49.7% of his field goal attempts. On the other hand, LeBron has been slightly better in his 21-year-long career so far at 50.6%.
LeBron is also listed at 6’9, making him 3 inches taller than Jordan. There is also no denying that King James is more athletic in comparison to MJ. Additionally, there was a lack of emphasis on the three-point shot during Jordan’s era. Therefore, his 32.7% three-point percentage being lower than LeBron’s 34.8% is not shocking.
Jordan is still considered more clutch and has a higher free-throw percentage
While the majority of the shooting statistics might indicate that LeBron James is more efficient than Michael Jordan, MJ has averaged 83.5% from the free-throw line. This makes him significantly better than LeBron, who has made 73.6% of his free throws throughout his NBA career.