Cross-era · careers 14 years apart

LeBron James vs Dennis Johnson

LeBron James 2003-2025 · Forward · active Dennis Johnson 1976-1989 · Guard

LeBron James (2003-2025) and Dennis Johnson (1976-1989) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 14 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, LeBron James was the higher-volume scorer (26.8 points per game to 14.1); adjusted for era they scored at 2.70× and 1.34× their league average respectively; LeBron James was the more efficient scorer (60.8% true shooting to 51.1%). LeBron James holds the edge on accolades — 4 MVPs, 4 championships, 4 Finals MVPs and the #3 all-time ranking to Dennis Johnson's #59.

Career averages

LeBron JamesStatDennis Johnson
26.8 Points / game 14.1
7.4 Rebounds / game 3.9
7.4 Assists / game 5.0
1.5 Steals / game 1.3
0.7 Blocks / game 0.6
50.8% Field goal % 44.6%
34.7% 3-point % 13.3%
73.7% Free throw % 80.0%
60.8% True shooting % 51.1%
1,622 Games played 1,100

Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)

LeBron JamesStatDennis Johnson
2.70× Points vs era avg 1.34×
1.80× Rebounds vs era avg 0.89×
3.36× Assists vs era avg 2.00×

Advanced metrics

Advanced stats weren't tracked in Dennis Johnson's era.

LeBron JamesStatDennis Johnson
113.8 Offensive rating —
107.9 Defensive rating —
5.9 Net rating —
27.2% Usage % —
34.1% Assist % —
10.7% Rebound % —

Playoff averages

LeBron JamesStatDennis Johnson
28.4 Points / game 17.3
9.0 Rebounds / game 4.3
7.2 Assists / game 5.6
1.7 Steals / game 1.4
1.0 Blocks / game 0.6
49.8% Field goal % 43.6%
33.2% 3-point % 18.5%
73.8% Free throw % 80.1%
292 Playoff games 180

Accolades

LeBron JamesStatDennis Johnson
4 MVP awards 0
4 Finals MVP 1
4 Championships 3
21 All-Star selections 5
13 All-NBA 1st Team 1
#3 All-time GOAT rank #59

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