Cross-era · careers 20 years apart
LeBron James vs Elvin Hayes
LeBron James (2003-2025) and Elvin Hayes (1968-1983) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 20 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 21.0); adjusted for era they scored at 2.70× and 1.97× their league average respectively; LeBron James was the more efficient scorer (60.8% true shooting to 49.2%). LeBron James holds the edge on accolades — 4 MVPs, 4 championships, 4 Finals MVPs and the #3 all-time ranking to Elvin Hayes's #42.
Career averages
| LeBron James | Stat | Elvin Hayes |
|---|
| 26.8 |
Points / game |
21.0 |
| 7.4 |
Rebounds / game |
12.5 |
| 7.4 |
Assists / game |
1.8 |
| 1.5 |
Steals / game |
0.7 |
| 0.7 |
Blocks / game |
1.4 |
| 50.8% |
Field goal % |
45.2% |
| 34.7% |
3-point % |
4.5% |
| 73.7% |
Free throw % |
67.0% |
| 60.8% |
True shooting % |
49.2% |
| 1,622 |
Games played |
1,303 |
Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)
| LeBron James | Stat | Elvin Hayes |
|---|
| 2.70× |
Points vs era avg |
1.97× |
| 1.80× |
Rebounds vs era avg |
2.57× |
| 3.36× |
Assists vs era avg |
0.78× |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Elvin Hayes's era.
| LeBron James | Stat | Elvin Hayes |
|---|
| 113.8 |
Offensive rating |
— |
| 107.9 |
Defensive rating |
— |
| 5.9 |
Net rating |
— |
| 27.2% |
Usage % |
— |
| 34.1% |
Assist % |
— |
| 10.7% |
Rebound % |
— |
Playoff averages
| LeBron James | Stat | Elvin Hayes |
|---|
| 28.4 |
Points / game |
22.9 |
| 9.0 |
Rebounds / game |
13.0 |
| 7.2 |
Assists / game |
1.9 |
| 1.7 |
Steals / game |
1.0 |
| 1.0 |
Blocks / game |
2.3 |
| 49.8% |
Field goal % |
46.4% |
| 33.2% |
3-point % |
0.0% |
| 73.8% |
Free throw % |
65.2% |
| 292 |
Playoff games |
96 |
Accolades
| LeBron James | Stat | Elvin Hayes |
|---|
| 4 |
MVP awards |
0 |
| 4 |
Finals MVP |
0 |
| 4 |
Championships |
1 |
| 21 |
All-Star selections |
12 |
| 13 |
All-NBA 1st Team |
3 |
| #3 |
All-time GOAT rank |
#42 |