Lebron gets 23 ppg in these Playoffs (18th) - that's a Rip Hamilton-caliber chip

[3ba11]

Lebron's teams are so stacked relative to their competition that he only needed 25 ppg in the 2013 Playoffs. or 23 this year, or 25 to win the 2007 East

So Lebron won titles by playing worse than Jordan ever did in a series, since Mike never averaged below 27 and never had a teammate average within 10 ppg in any series outside the 1st Round, aka "carrying the scoring load" (defeating maximum defensive attention, aka toughest path that requires the most help).

Lebron averaged 16 on 39% for the first 3 games of the 13' Finals, while his 23 on 43% was insufficient thru 6 games and needed Allen to force Game 7.. It was another epic meltdown just like 2010 ECSF, 2011 Finals, 2014 Finals, 2018 meltdown over JR's mistake, or the no-call meltdown this year.. He's a meltdown machine, clutch-time bricklayer and turnover kingpin whose weaker brand of ball needs more help and yields more underdogs than any all-timer in history.

[AlternativeAcc.]

Bird averaged less for a title run and he's number 3 on your all time list

Kobe averaged 16ppg and he's 2nd

[1987_Lakers]

[SouBeachTalents]

Bird averaged less for a title run and he's number 3 on your all time list

Kobe averaged 16ppg and he's 2nd

Wilt and Magic never averaged 23 for ANY of their titles, yet he ranks them both ahead of LeBron, who's not allowed to do it at 38 while STILL leading his team in scoring

[AlternativeAcc.]

Wilt and Magic never averaged 23 for ANY of their titles, yet he ranks them both ahead of LeBron.

Damn.

Must've been Magics D that put him over the top?

[3ba11]

Bird averaged less for a title run and he's number 3 on your all time list

Kobe averaged 16ppg and he's 2nd

Both Bird and Kobe showed the ability to win with less than Lebron ever won with

Kobe repeated with a Bosh-level player at sidekick

And unlike Lebron, Bird didn't need an equal-scoring partner to attract equal defensive attention to upset an all-time super-team - Bird defeated maximum defensive attention in the 84' Playoffs & Finals (carried scoring load) while upsetting the favored Lakers.

Their ability to win with less is tied to their superior skillset (expert jumpshooting), which yields superior teammate development, fits and strategic capacity/coaching

[1987_Lakers]

Both Bird and Kobe showed the ability to win with less than Lebron ever won with

Kobe repeated with a Bosh-level player at sidekick

And unlike Lebron, Bird didn't need an equal-scoring partner to attract equal defensive attention to upset an all-time super-team - Bird defeated maximum defensive attention in the 84' Playoffs & Finals (carried scoring load) while upsetting the favored Lakers.

Their ability to win with less is tied to their superior skillset (expert jumpshooting), which yields superior teammate development, fits and strategic capacity/coaching

'09 & '10 Gasol > '13 Wade.

[3ba11]

Wilt and Magic never averaged 23 for ANY of their titles, yet he ranks them both ahead of LeBron, who's not allowed to do it at 38 while STILL leading his team in scoring

I'm open to putting Lebron ahead of Magic and I have no problem flip-flopping them at #10 and 11

Regarding Wilt, his circumstance was truly unique with an entire league conspiring to defeat him every year, while Lebron gets the opposite - the league works to stack his teams to create a fake debate.. Ultimately, it's clear that centers need less help than ball-dominators, so the best centers (Wilt, Kareem, Duncan, Shaq) > the best ball-dominators (lebron, magic, oscar)

[3ba11]

'09 & '10 Gasol > '13 Wade.

Based on the criteria you're using (stats), tons of guys were better than 2013 Lebron because Lebron only averaged 25 ppg with a 28 PER in those playoffs

But the only reason that Lebron's numbers were down was because no one needed to do much on the most stacked team ever, arguably - stacked teams don't require 1 guy to carry the scoring load (defeat max defensive attention) - only weak casts need that.

Lebron and Wade averaged 25 and 20 ppg against the West - that's pedestrian but the team was so stacked that no one needed to do much.

Ultimately, passers like Lebron and Magic need all-time scorers to pass to like Kareem, AD, Wade or Kyrie, and all-star scorers at 3rd option.. Meanwhile, expert jumpshooters like Kobe, Curry, Bird or Jordan won with a secondary producer that averaged 10 less than him in the Finals thereby forcing them to defeat max defensive attention (carry scoring load on championship level).

[Lebron23]

Jordan averaged 20 ppg on 41 FG% when he played for the Wizards.

[3ba11]

Jordan averaged 20 ppg on 41 FG% when he played for the Wizards.

He was 39 and 40, while Lebron recently turned 38, so next year is the real gauge for Lebron vs Wizards Jordan.

Jordan got injured right before his 39th birthday, but Jordan's brief period in the NBA at 38 years old saw him be 1 of 3 guys that averaged 25/5/5 (Kobe, MJ, Tmac) with many 40 or 50 point games and the Wizards were the 4th seed (26-21)...

All this occurred while the league allowed 10 less points per 100 possessions..

So people don't realize how great MJ was at 38 (before he turned 39).. Regardless, he added 18 wins to a 19-win team and achieved expectation for a bad team, while 37-year Lebron missed the play-in with the preseason favorite last year and big 3 super-team.

[Lebron23]

He was 39 and 40, while Lebron recently turned 38, so next year is the real gauge for Lebron vs Wizards Jordan.

Jordan got injured right before his 39th birthday, but Jordan's brief period in the NBA at 38 years old saw him be 1 of 3 guys that averaged 25/5/5 (Kobe, MJ, Tmac) with many 40 or 50 point games and the Wizards were the 4th seed (26-21)...

All this occurred while the league allowed 10 less points per 100 possessions..

So people don't realize how great MJ was at 38 (before he turned 39).. Regardless, he added 18 wins to a 19-win team and achieved a 37-win expectation, while 37-year Lebron missed the play-in with the preseason favorite last year and big 3 super-team.

He missed the playoffs in the Leastern Conference.

[tpols]

He's a meltdown machine, clutch-time bricklayer and turnover kingpin

[3ba11]

He missed the playoffs in the Leastern Conference.

Jordan missed the last 20 games in 2002

But the 39-year old Jordan would've made the play-in if they had one in 2002 with a team that won 19 games the prior year

Meanwhile, Lebron missed the play-in at 37 years old with the preseason favorite big 3 super-team

night and day

[Lebron23]

Jordan missed the last 20 games in 2002

But the 39-year old Jordan would've made the play-in if they had one in 2002 with a team that won 19 games the prior year

Meanwhile, Lebron missed the play-in at 37 years old with the preseason favorite big 3 super-team

night and day

Lebron beat superior teams than Jordan in the NBA Finals.