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LeBron James lit up a firestorm on the “Road Trippin’” podcast with a controversial claim. In a comment sure to set off MJ stans everywhere, LeBron declared Michael Jordan wouldn’t be able to average 50 points in today’s league. A major sports news website fanned the flames further by picking up LeBron’s take, and it’s safe to say, that the debate has been fueled further!

Back in 2020, James boldly stated, “There’s nobody that’s gonna average 50 in our league, That’s just disrespectful, no matter how great you were in your era and how great you are to play in any era.” He continued, “If that’s the case, I believe guys will average 50 in their era, the era that they played in. So I don’t believe that, but when Channing said what he said, if you’ve ever seen the meme of Homer Simpson when he slides back into the bush, that was me.” However, experts and fans are pushing back against James’ stance.

This came about after LeBron James leapt to the defense of his former Cavs teammate Channing Frye. Frye sparked controversy by suggesting that Michael Jordan wouldn’t reach 50 points per game in today’s NBA, as Jordan’s agent David Falk had apparently claimed. Frye argued that the increased emphasis on double-teaming would hinder Jordan’s scoring powers.

Dissecting James’ Bold Claim

DreamersPro, a YouTube sports channel, weighed in on LeBron’s bold statement jumping deeper and not just critiquing his claim but also questioning a major sports website’s seemingly one-sided coverage. DreamersPro strongly disagreed with LeBron’s views, stating, “a vast majority of everything that LeBron James spouted made absolutely no sense.”

Talking about the incoherence of the article, DreamersPro laid out some interesting facts: In his peak season (1986-87), Jordan averaged a staggering 37.1 points per game, playing all 82 games and logging a hefty 40 minutes per contest. Notably, this feat was achieved in an era where the three-point shot wasn’t a primary weapon. On average, teams attempted a mere 4.7 threes a game back then, compared to the barrage of 35 attempts seen today.In the breakdown DreamersPro mentioned, “Now, back to the article and this idiotic point that LeBron made that nobody can average 50 so we already know someone has done it in this league which is Will Chamberlain.”

But wait, there’s more! As per the analysis, the “L” Train then seems to forget that MJ was averaging nearly 37.1 points on just two-point shots! Imagine if he played with today’s league’s emphasis on threes? He continues, “So the article conceded that the game selects for threes, the pace is increased so Jordan did that when there were less possessions and in this NBA, you’re telling me that with more possessions with less big men blocking the rim….he can go to the foul line and pretty much do whatever he could with his athleticism and all of that, if Jordan increases 3-point attempts toward six a game, you’re telling me that Jordan couldn’t find an additional 10 points per game to get the 50? What is LeBron talking about? Of course Michael Jordan could do it!”

While DreamersPro makes a compelling case for MJ’s dominance in adapting to the modern game, a 50-point average may or may not be a stretch. Regardless, the GOAT debate continues. Both MJ and LeBron are legends, and this friendly debate just proves how much fans love the two all-time greats!