Last Updated on August 31, 2024 by Mathew Diekhake
Lebron James had a vertical reach of 44 inches. Michael Jordan had a vertical reach of 48 inches. Lebron was roughly 4 inches taller than Jordan, so the maximum height they could reach while jumping would have been almost identical.
When comparing Michael Jordan and Lebron James, working out who could reach higher in the air isn’t going to be a determining factor in any argument. Also, when Lebron started to play the point guard position and referred to himself as a point forward, it made every argument between him and Jordan a lot more difficult. James started as a frontcourt player and Jordan a backcourt player. But when Lebron switched to play the point guard position, he also became a backcourt player. That said, Jordan wasn’t a point guard during his era, so they do remain different players.
I think that Russell Westbrook inspired Lebon to play the point guard position even though there won’t ever be a way to prove that. Westbrook was in his prime when Lebron started to take the role of point guard more seriously. Both Westbrook and Lebron were powerful drivers of the basketball. Jordan was also a great driver of the basketball. But I don’t think Lebron was thinking about comparing himself to Jordan when he played point guard/turned into a point forward. I think it was a natural progression after Lebron watched and studied the game in his own era.