Cross-era · careers 7 years apart

Michael Jordan vs James Harden

Michael Jordan 1984-2002 · Guard James Harden 2009-2025 · Guard · active

Michael Jordan (1984-2002) and James Harden (2009-2025) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 7 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Michael Jordan was the higher-volume scorer (30.1 points per game to 24.0); adjusted for era they scored at 2.94× and 2.39× their league average respectively; James Harden was the more efficient scorer (64.1% true shooting to 56.9%). Michael Jordan holds the edge on accolades — 5 MVPs, 6 championships, 6 Finals MVPs and the #1 all-time ranking to James Harden's #41.

Career averages

Michael JordanStatJames Harden
30.1 Points / game 24.0
6.2 Rebounds / game 5.6
5.3 Assists / game 7.3
2.4 Steals / game 1.5
0.8 Blocks / game 0.6
49.6% Field goal % 43.8%
28.0% 3-point % 36.5%
83.3% Free throw % 86.0%
56.9% True shooting % 64.1%
1,072 Games played 1,221

Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)

Michael JordanStatJames Harden
2.94× Points vs era avg 2.39×
1.50× Rebounds vs era avg 1.35×
2.24× Assists vs era avg 3.21×

Advanced metrics

Advanced stats aren't available for Michael Jordan.

Michael JordanStatJames Harden
— Offensive rating 115.0
— Defensive rating 109.4
— Net rating 5.5
— Usage % 28.6%
— Assist % 34.7%
— Rebound % 7.9%

Playoff averages

Michael JordanStatJames Harden
33.5 Points / game 22.5
6.4 Rebounds / game 5.5
5.7 Assists / game 6.5
2.1 Steals / game 1.6
0.9 Blocks / game 0.6
48.8% Field goal % 43.0%
34.3% 3-point % 34.7%
83.0% Free throw % 86.5%
179 Playoff games 173

Accolades

Michael JordanStatJames Harden
5 MVP awards 1
6 Finals MVP 0
6 Championships 0
13 All-Star selections 10
10 All-NBA 1st Team 6
#1 All-time GOAT rank #41

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