Cross-era · careers 14 years apart

LeBron James vs Michael Cooper

LeBron James 2003-2025 · Forward · active Michael Cooper 1978-1989 · Guard

LeBron James (2003-2025) and Michael Cooper (1978-1989) 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 8.8); adjusted for era they scored at 2.70× and 0.84× their league average respectively; LeBron James was the more efficient scorer (60.8% true shooting to 54.3%). LeBron James holds the edge on accolades — 4 MVPs, 4 championships, 4 Finals MVPs and the #3 all-time ranking to Michael Cooper's #65.

Career averages

LeBron JamesStatMichael Cooper
26.8 Points / game 8.8
7.4 Rebounds / game 3.2
7.4 Assists / game 4.2
1.5 Steals / game 1.2
0.7 Blocks / game 0.6
50.8% Field goal % 46.8%
34.7% 3-point % 29.1%
73.7% Free throw % 83.2%
60.8% True shooting % 54.3%
1,622 Games played 873

Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)

LeBron JamesStatMichael Cooper
2.70× Points vs era avg 0.84×
1.80× Rebounds vs era avg 0.75×
3.36× Assists vs era avg 1.67×

Advanced metrics

Advanced stats weren't tracked in Michael Cooper's era.

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

Playoff averages

LeBron JamesStatMichael Cooper
28.4 Points / game 9.4
9.0 Rebounds / game 3.4
7.2 Assists / game 4.2
1.7 Steals / game 1.2
1.0 Blocks / game 0.6
49.8% Field goal % 46.1%
33.2% 3-point % 32.6%
73.8% Free throw % 77.6%
292 Playoff games 168

Accolades

LeBron JamesStatMichael Cooper
4 MVP awards 0
4 Finals MVP 0
4 Championships 5
21 All-Star selections 0
13 All-NBA 1st Team 0
#3 All-time GOAT rank #65

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