Michael Jordan vs Jerry West
Michael Jordan (1984-2002) and Jerry West (1960-1973) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 11 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 27.0); adjusted for era they scored at 2.94× and 2.34× their league average respectively; Michael Jordan was the more efficient scorer (56.9% true shooting to 55.0%). Michael Jordan holds the edge on accolades — 5 MVPs, 6 championships, 6 Finals MVPs and the #1 all-time ranking to Jerry West's #23.
Career averages
| Michael Jordan | Stat | Jerry West |
|---|---|---|
| 30.1 | Points / game | 27.0 |
| 6.2 | Rebounds / game | 5.8 |
| 5.3 | Assists / game | 6.7 |
| 2.4 | Steals / game | 0.1 |
| 0.8 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 49.6% | Field goal % | 47.4% |
| 28.0% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 83.3% | Free throw % | 81.4% |
| 56.9% | True shooting % | 55.0% |
| 1,072 | Games played | 932 |
Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)
| Michael Jordan | Stat | Jerry West |
|---|---|---|
| 2.94× | Points vs era avg | 2.34× |
| 1.50× | Rebounds vs era avg | 0.99× |
| 2.24× | Assists vs era avg | 2.97× |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats aren't available for Michael Jordan.
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Jerry West's era.
Playoff averages
| Michael Jordan | Stat | Jerry West |
|---|---|---|
| 33.5 | Points / game | 29.1 |
| 6.4 | Rebounds / game | 5.6 |
| 5.7 | Assists / game | 6.3 |
| 2.1 | Steals / game | 0.0 |
| 0.9 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 48.8% | Field goal % | 46.6% |
| 34.3% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 83.0% | Free throw % | 79.1% |
| 179 | Playoff games | 153 |
Accolades
| Michael Jordan | Stat | Jerry West |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | MVP awards | 0 |
| 6 | Finals MVP | 1 |
| 6 | Championships | 1 |
| 13 | All-Star selections | 12 |
| 10 | All-NBA 1st Team | 10 |
| #1 | All-time GOAT rank | #23 |
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