There is an interesting phenomenon in sports where fans try to compare the greatest players of all time to each other. The thing is, many of the players people compare often come from very different eras of the sport, and in some cases play completely different styles or positions.
That said, there are actually plenty of people with better stats and career records than the great Michael Jordan. Some NBA players have simply managed to surpass him in terms of overall stats, while others have simply managed to surpass Jordan through different skill sets. Yet many men have surpassed the man often considered the greatest in sports history.
ten Kareem Abdul Jabbar
It should be noted that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is perhaps one of the most legendary players in the NBA well ahead of Jordan, as he outstrips him by nearly 6,000 career points. To be fair, Kareem has played five more seasons than Jordan, but that’s still impressive.
Then, as an impressive center, Kareem was a rebounding machine in his day, standing like the man with the third most rebounds in NBA history, Jordan isn’t even in the top 10 at this regard. Still, bohmen had distinctly different styles of play.
9 John Stockton
Jordan was most often seen as the guy to send the ball to rather than the one to pass or steal the ball (although he was actually a great ball stealer). It’s this very thing that allows John Stockton to sit above Jordan in both assists and steals from distance.
Currently holding the record for most assists and most steals in NBA history, John Stockton is way above the men closest to him, and Jordan is once again not even not in the top 10 by either stat. Again, it’s worth remembering that Jordan was more of a finisher, so the difference makes sense.
8 Wilt Chamberlain
One of the most legendary and historic players of all time is Wilt Chamberlain. He is the man who still holds the record for most points in a 100 game, a record that will likely never be broken in modern NBA basketball.
With that, some might think he was a scoring machine, when in reality he was actually one of the best rebounders of his era. He holds the record for most rebounds in NBA history, which won’t surprise many people the deeper they dig into Wilt’s history.
seven james lebron
Yes, whether we want to admit it or not, Lebron James has surpassed Jordan, at least on paper. Lebron sits second in most points in NBA history, which he could potentially change if he continues to play at high levels. MJ is currently ranked in fifth place in this regard.
Another stat, although a little funnier, is that Lebron James also passed Jordan by several miles in turnovers. People may complain about their favorite stars and their turnovers, but Lebron has the most in NBA history, and that number continues to rise.
6 Stephen Curry
Jordan was no slouch shooting three times, but that was never the focus of his game. He was at his best when driving into the rim, which puts him in high contrast to Steph Curry.
Curry is often considered the best three-point shot in NBA history and it’s not hard to see why. He holds the record for most three-pointers made, and he doesn’t even hold the record for most three-pointers attempted (although that may change soon). Curry is a three-point monster, which puts him on the same level as Jordan, but in a different way.
5 Karl Malone
A name often overlooked when talking about the greatest players in NBA history is Karl Malone. A lot of people don’t even seem to realize that he has more points than Michael Jordan by a pretty solid margin.
Other than that, Malone has always been a reliable option at the free throw line, making him the man with the most free throws made and attempted in NBA history. He crushes Jordan in those two stats even more than his accomplishments with points.
4 Jason Kidd
As mentioned earlier, Jordan doesn’t often get the credit he deserves for his skill at stealing the ball. He actually sits with the third-most steals in NBA history. Unfortunately, he was beaten by Jason Kidd by just over a hundred interceptions.
Kidd isn’t just outperforming Jordan in steals, he also has more assists. It’s fair to say that plenty of players struggled to deal with Kidd’s dynamic play and his ability to not only regain possession of the ball, but also give the ball to his team’s top scorers.
3 Vince Carter
When someone loves basketball as much as Vince Carter, it’s hard for anyone to play as many games as they have. Although he doesn’t hold the record for most games played in NBA history, he deserves a mention as he sits in third place.
Again, Jordan doesn’t even rank in the top 10, which is likely related to his various injuries and other activities. Carter has 1,541 games played, just one season before taking the top spot.
2 Kobe Bryant
Most people are well aware of the fact that Kobe Bryant managed to outdo Jordan in different ways. The best way he managed to beat him was with points. Bryant sits above Jordan in the NBA rankings in points with just over a thousand ahead of him.
He is also apparently a more reliable free throw shooter as Bryant is above Jordan in the NBA free throw rankings. Considering Lebron had fun teasing him, it’s still worth pointing out that Bryant has a lot more turnovers than Jordan.
1 Shaquille O’Neal
A lot of people know that Shaq is one of the greatest players of all time, but they might not know that he actually surpassed Jordan in so many ways. If he never beat him in points, he beat him in rebounds and blocks thanks to their different styles of play.
Shaq couldn’t be stopped at the rim and as a result is one of the top-ranked men in offensive and defensive rebounds. Jordan wasn’t known for blocking, but Shaq wasn’t about to let people into his net, making him one of the highest ranked blockers in NBA history.
