Cross-era · careers 48 years apart

LeBron James vs George Mikan

LeBron James 2003-2025 · Forward · active George Mikan 1948-1955 · Center

LeBron James (2003-2025) and George Mikan (1948-1955) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 48 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 23.1); adjusted for era they scored at 2.70× and 2.71× their league average respectively; LeBron James was the more efficient scorer (60.8% true shooting to 48.3%). LeBron James holds the edge on accolades — 4 MVPs, 4 championships, 4 Finals MVPs and the #3 all-time ranking to George Mikan's #34.

Career averages

LeBron JamesStatGeorge Mikan
26.8 Points / game 23.1
7.4 Rebounds / game 9.5
7.4 Assists / game 2.8
1.5 Steals / game 0.0
0.7 Blocks / game 0.0
50.8% Field goal % 40.2%
34.7% 3-point % 0.0%
73.7% Free throw % 78.1%
60.8% True shooting % 48.3%
1,622 Games played 439

Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)

LeBron JamesStatGeorge Mikan
2.70× Points vs era avg 2.71×
1.80× Rebounds vs era avg 2.55×
3.36× Assists vs era avg 1.37×

Advanced metrics

Advanced stats weren't tracked in George Mikan's era.

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

Playoff averages

LeBron JamesStatGeorge Mikan
28.4 Points / game 22.9
9.0 Rebounds / game 11.1
7.2 Assists / game 2.2
1.7 Steals / game 0.0
1.0 Blocks / game 0.0
49.8% Field goal % 39.8%
33.2% 3-point % 0.0%
73.8% Free throw % 78.3%
292 Playoff games 60

Accolades

LeBron JamesStatGeorge Mikan
4 MVP awards 0
4 Finals MVP 0
4 Championships 5
21 All-Star selections 4
13 All-NBA 1st Team 6
#3 All-time GOAT rank #34

More comparisons

Want a different matchup? Use the interactive comparison tool.