The argument between LeBron James and Michael Jordan as the best player in NBA history will probably never be settled. But one comparison between the two that does have a chance to reach a consensus is which star aged better.
Jordan played 15 years to LeBron's 21 (and counting). Jordan took three years off before logging in his final season at 39. He was still playing at a high level and had a good case for being the best 39-year-old to ever play in the league. LeBron, who turns 39 midway through the 2023-24 season, will likely take over that distinction by season's end.
Michael Jordan vs LeBron James at age 39
LeBron is coming off a terrific season in which he averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game, making his 19th All-Star game.
Using those numbers, Basketball-Reference has projected his stats for the 2023-24 season. Here's how they compare to Jordan in his final season.
| Jordan at age 39 | Per Game | LeBron (projected at age 39) |
| 20.0 | Points | 27.9 |
| 6.1 | Rebounds | 8.0 |
| 3.8 | Assists | 6.4 |
| 1.5 | Steals | 1.0 |
| 0.5 | Blocks | 0.7 |
| 2.1 | Turnovers | 3.4 |
| 37.0 | Minutes | 36.0 |
| 44.5 | Field goal % | 49.6 |
| 29.1 | 3-point % | 32.9 |
| 82.1 | Free throw % | 75.1 |
LeBron's production at this stage of his career is truly unprecedented. No player has even come close to maintaining their status as a top 10 player, which is where we had him in our top 30 player rankings coming into the season.
Jordan's age-39 season is nothing to scoff at either. Battling knee problems, he still managed to play in all 82 games and log 37 minutes per game. He would easily lead the league in minutes if that happened during this current season.
Jordan's teammate Ty Lue revealed on The Pivot Podcast that Jordan never missed a practice that season either, showing up as the first guy at the gym and essentially playing on one leg.
Karl Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and other Hall of Famers who lasted into their age 39 season
LeBron will become the 49th player to make it to his age 39 season, per Basketball-Reference. That list includes 18 current Hall of Fame players, most of whom had tailed off considerably by that age.
Eleven of those 18 were under double-digit scoring averages by then. The best of the group were Jordan, Karl Malone, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who won the NBA championship with the Lakers that season. Jordan and Abdul-Jabbar were the only players to make the All-Star game at age 39.
Here's how all of the Hall of Famers compare statistically:
| Player | Games | Minutes | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks | Points | FG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karl Malone | 81 | 36.2 | 7.8 | 4.7 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 20.6 | 0.462 |
| John Stockton | 82 | 31.3 | 3.2 | 8.2 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 13.4 | 0.517 |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 78 | 31.3 | 6.7 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 17.5 | 0.564 |
| Robert Parish | 79 | 27.2 | 9.4 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 12.6 | 0.535 |
| Reggie Miller | 66 | 31.9 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 14.8 | 0.437 |
| Michael Jordan | 82 | 37 | 6.1 | 3.8 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 20 | 0.445 |
| Jason Kidd | 76 | 26.9 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 6 | 0.372 |
| Tim Duncan | 61 | 25.2 | 7.3 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 8.6 | 0.488 |
| Dikembe Mutombo | 64 | 14.9 | 4.8 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 0.526 |
| Manu Ginóbili | 69 | 18.7 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 7.5 | 0.39 |
| Hakeem Olajuwon | 61 | 22.6 | 6 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 7.1 | 0.464 |
| Grant Hill | 49 | 28.1 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 10.2 | 0.446 |
| Patrick Ewing | 65 | 13.9 | 4 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 6 | 0.444 |
| Kevin Garnett | 38 | 14.6 | 3.9 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 3.2 | 0.47 |
| Dominique Wilkins | 27 | 9.3 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0 | 5 | 0.379 |
| Moses Malone | 17 | 8.8 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 2.9 | 0.371 |
| Steve Nash | 15 | 20.9 | 1.9 | 5.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 6.8 | 0.383 |
| Paul Pierce | 25 | 11.1 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 3.2 | 0.4 |