Cross-era · careers 15 years apart

LeBron James vs Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

LeBron James 2003-2025 · Forward · active Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1969-1988 · Center

LeBron James (2003-2025) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1969-1988) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 15 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 24.6); adjusted for era they scored at 2.70× and 2.34× their league average respectively; LeBron James was the more efficient scorer (60.8% true shooting to 59.2%). Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the edge on accolades — 6 MVPs, 6 championships, 2 Finals MVPs and the #2 all-time ranking to LeBron James's #3.

Career averages

LeBron JamesStatKareem Abdul-Jabbar
26.8 Points / game 24.6
7.4 Rebounds / game 11.2
7.4 Assists / game 3.6
1.5 Steals / game 0.7
0.7 Blocks / game 2.0
50.8% Field goal % 55.9%
34.7% 3-point % 1.7%
73.7% Free throw % 72.7%
60.8% True shooting % 59.2%
1,622 Games played 1,560

Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)

LeBron JamesStatKareem Abdul-Jabbar
2.70× Points vs era avg 2.34×
1.80× Rebounds vs era avg 2.40×
3.36× Assists vs era avg 1.51×

Advanced metrics

Advanced stats weren't tracked in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's era.

LeBron JamesStatKareem Abdul-Jabbar
113.8 Offensive rating —
107.9 Defensive rating —
5.9 Net rating —
27.2% Usage % —
34.1% Assist % —
10.7% Rebound % —

Playoff averages

LeBron JamesStatKareem Abdul-Jabbar
28.4 Points / game 24.3
9.0 Rebounds / game 10.5
7.2 Assists / game 3.2
1.7 Steals / game 0.8
1.0 Blocks / game 2.0
49.8% Field goal % 53.0%
33.2% 3-point % 0.0%
73.8% Free throw % 74.2%
292 Playoff games 237

Accolades

LeBron JamesStatKareem Abdul-Jabbar
4 MVP awards 6
4 Finals MVP 2
4 Championships 6
21 All-Star selections 18
13 All-NBA 1st Team 10
#3 All-time GOAT rank #2

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