Contemporaries · overlapped 1 season
Karl Malone vs LeBron James
Karl Malone and LeBron James were contemporaries, their careers overlapping for 1 season. On the floor, LeBron James was the higher-volume scorer (26.8 points per game to 25.0); LeBron James was the more efficient scorer (60.8% true shooting to 57.7%); LeBron James created more for others (7.4 assists per game to 3.6). LeBron James holds the edge on accolades — 4 MVPs, 4 championships, 4 Finals MVPs and the #3 all-time ranking to Karl Malone's #14.
Career averages
| Karl Malone | Stat | LeBron James |
|---|
| 25.0 |
Points / game |
26.8 |
| 10.1 |
Rebounds / game |
7.4 |
| 3.6 |
Assists / game |
7.4 |
| 1.4 |
Steals / game |
1.5 |
| 0.8 |
Blocks / game |
0.7 |
| 51.4% |
Field goal % |
50.8% |
| 21.1% |
3-point % |
34.7% |
| 73.3% |
Free throw % |
73.7% |
| 57.7% |
True shooting % |
60.8% |
| 1,476 |
Games played |
1,622 |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats aren't available for Karl Malone.
| Karl Malone | Stat | LeBron James |
|---|
| — |
Offensive rating |
113.8 |
| — |
Defensive rating |
107.9 |
| — |
Net rating |
5.9 |
| — |
Usage % |
27.2% |
| — |
Assist % |
34.1% |
| — |
Rebound % |
10.7% |
Playoff averages
| Karl Malone | Stat | LeBron James |
|---|
| 24.7 |
Points / game |
28.4 |
| 10.7 |
Rebounds / game |
9.0 |
| 3.2 |
Assists / game |
7.2 |
| 1.3 |
Steals / game |
1.7 |
| 0.7 |
Blocks / game |
1.0 |
| 46.2% |
Field goal % |
49.8% |
| 13.7% |
3-point % |
33.2% |
| 72.7% |
Free throw % |
73.8% |
| 193 |
Playoff games |
292 |
Accolades
| Karl Malone | Stat | LeBron James |
|---|
| 2 |
MVP awards |
4 |
| 0 |
Finals MVP |
4 |
| 0 |
Championships |
4 |
| 12 |
All-Star selections |
21 |
| 11 |
All-NBA 1st Team |
13 |
| #14 |
All-time GOAT rank |
#3 |