The Tape
Was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar better than Michael Jordan?
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1969-1989, against Michael Jordan, 1984-2003. The numbers levelled to one league, then the call.
Method, stated plainly: scoring is adjusted to a league averaging 114 points per team per game. Rebounds and assists are printed as they were recorded, with the league scoring rate beside them, because a rebound in 1962 came out of a different number of missed shots and we will not pretend one multiplier fixes that. Career lines for active players run through 2024-25.
What the numbers say
Adjusted to a league averaging 114 points a game, their best seasons score the same: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at 36 a game in 1971-72, Michael Jordan at 36.9 in 1987-88. The scoring argument is a tie and anyone who claims otherwise is quoting raw numbers from different leagues.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wins the glass by 11.1 rebounds a game (16.6 to 5.5), which in his era meant standing in traffic rather than waiting for a long one.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: One unblockable shot, 6 MVPs, and a scoring record that stood for 39 years. Michael Jordan: The highest career scoring average ever, 6 titles in 6 Finals, and a Defensive Player of the Year award in the middle of it.
The numbers are free. The verdict is in the Vault.
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