the tiebreakBroken 16 October 2026

Jordan or LeBron?LeBron James,
by a whisker.

LeBron James 91.3, Michael Jordan 89.4 out of 100: a margin of 1.9 points, inside our measured noise.

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The scorecard

Five criteria, each worth a fixed share, set before any scoring. Disagree? Try another scorecard and watch the bar tip toward whoever is ahead.

As publishedLeBron James, by a whisker.LeBron James 91.3, Michael Jordan 89.4 out of 100: a margin of 1.9 points, inside our measured noise.

Set your own
Michael Jordan89.4LeBron James91.3

Inside the fence: the higher total still wins

Our scorecard. Try another, and watch the bar tip.

Where it was won

The lead, built criterion by criterion, starting with the one that did most to decide it.

Longevity+2.4
Versatility+0.9
Influence0.0
Peak dominance−0.3
Major titles−1.1

LeadLeBron +1.9the margin, 1.9 points

Each criterion in turn. Swipe through.

01 / 05

24%

Longevity

Adds 2.4 points to LeBron James' lead.

02 / 05

12%

Versatility

Adds 0.9 points to LeBron James' lead.

03 / 05

6%

Influence

Moves LeBron James' lead by less than 0.1 points.

04 / 05

35%

Peak dominance

Takes 0.3 points off LeBron James' lead.

05 / 05

24%

Major titles

Takes 1.1 points off LeBron James' lead.

Longevity

Adds 2.4 points to LeBron James' lead.

LeBron James
99.0 · 13 or more seasons
Michael Jordan
89.0 · 13 or more seasons

Edge: LeBron James +10.0

For LeBron James

“As a result, his record streak of 21 consecutive All-NBA Team selections came to an end.”

LeBron James, Wikipedia · Professional career: Los Angeles Lakers (2018–2026): 2025–2026: Final season in Los Angeles

More for LeBron James (20)

For Michael Jordan

“9× Sports Illustrated Best NBA Player: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998”

List of career achievements by Michael Jordan, Wikipedia · Professional achievements: Media awards & honors: Sports Illustrated

More for Michael Jordan (21)
The receiptsHow the evidence was gathered, what the judge saw, the two checks, and the run's facts.

How the evidence was gathered

researchers: Claude, GPT, Gemini, Grok
4
web searches
88
quotes found word for word
177/222
facts after merging
151

What the judge saw

Contender A

  • Regular-season MVP awards: 5 (1987-88, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, 1997-98).
  • “Highest scoring average, points per game, career: 30.12”
  • “NBA record 5 playoff series averaging at least 40 points per game”
  • “Contender A led the NBA in scoring in 10 seasons (NBA record) and tied Wilt Chamberlain's record of seven consecutive scoring titles.”
  • “Larry Bird, following a playoff game where Contender A dropped 63 points on the opposing team in just his second season, appraisal of the young player was: “God disguised as Contender A.””
  • “in 1986-87 became the only player besides Wilt Chamberlain to score more than 3,000 points in a season, getting 3,041.”
  • “He holds the NBA records for career regular season scoring average (30.1 points per game) and career playoff scoring average (33.4 points per game).”
  • “Contender A is the only recipient to have also won the scoring title in the same season”
  • “they remain the first and only team to win 70+ games in the regular season and win the NBA championship.”
  • “Largely on the strength of 21 for 27 from the field, Contender A scored 59 points, most in the National Basketball Assn. this season, and contributed 6 assists.”
  • “Points — Contender A, Team P (35.0)”
  • “Steals — Contender A, Team P (3.2)”
  • “Contender A led the NBA with 30.4 ppg as the Team P charged to a record 72 victories during the regular season, then stormed through the playoffs with a 15-3 record ending in a six-game Finals win over the opposing team.”
  • “he came back late in the year to score a NBA playoff-record 63 points in a first-round game against the opposing team.”
  • “That year saw him average 37.1 points in the first of seven consecutive seasons in which he led the league in scoring”
  • “In 1987-88, Contender A won every major award including MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and All-Star MVP.”
  • “In the Finals, Contender A set a Finals record as he posted a 41.0 ppg average in the six-game series victory over the opposing team.”

96 quotes, about 2,380 words. The packet the verdict scored.

Contender B

  • Regular-season MVP awards: 4 (2008-09, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2012-13).
  • “One of two players in NBA history to win four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards in a span of five years.”
  • “Contender B was named MVP for the fourth time, falling one vote shy of becoming the first player to win unanimously.”
  • “Throughout the 2010s, Contender B was usually ranked as the best player in the NBA each season by ESPN and Sports Illustrated.”
  • “their team's city went a franchise record 66–16; Contender B became the first Team R player to win the MVP Award. John Hollinger of ESPN described Contender B's season as "arguably the greatest individual season in history".”
  • “The Team S star took 120 of 121 first-place votes in this year's balloting, giving him the award for the fourth time.”
  • “The first player to lead all five statistical categories in an NBA finals series is Contender B (USA) in the Team R 4-3 finals win over the opposing team, from 2 to 19 June 2016.”
  • “The Team S, in the prime of the team's trio phenomenon, had just won their 24th consecutive game after a 27-point second-half comeback in their team's city.”
  • “Contender B had 24 points, the 200th straight regular-season game in which he had scored in double figures.”
  • “Thirty-three straight games with at least 20 points to start the season off? No problem for Contender B.”
  • “He averaged just 18.6 field goals per game, while shooting 54.3 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc.”
  • “Contender B has made a great case for winning his fourth MVP award, shooting 55.1 percent and averaging 26.7 points per game (PPG).”
  • “For his career, Isiah Thomas had a VORP of 41.59. That essentially means if you combined the regular-season careers of the rival and Isiah Thomas in this particular metric, you'd get Contender B.”
  • “At his peak, Contender B made 748 2-pointers in a season. Can you guess the last player not named Giannis Antetokounmpo to do that? It was a teammate... in 2009.”
  • “Contender B earns the honor for the second consecutive year and the fourth time in five seasons.”
  • “The only other player to win the award in four of five seasons is Bill Russell”
  • “Contender B totaled 1,207 points, including 120 first-place votes”
  • “was the only player in the NBA to lead his team in scoring (26.8 ppg), rebounding (8.0 rpg) and assists (7.3 apg)”
  • “Contender B led the NBA score differential (+9.5) and player impact estimate (22.1 percent)”
  • “one of the greatest statistical regular seasons in NBA history”
  • “You combine his peak and his longevity, and there’s nobody that comes close.”

105 quotes, about 2,380 words. The packet the verdict scored.

Two checks that ran alongside

Names shown
−0.6
names shown: winner unchanged
Change in the margin when the judge sees the names.
A and B swapped
+0.2
0.2 away, passed
Change in the margin when the labels swap. It should sit near zero.

The run

judge
jev-1.13.0
rubric
athlete v3
calls
12
tokens
55,560
wall-clock
3.7 s
packets
Jordan 4669c1…ecfd · LeBron 13035c…f508

Questions about this verdict

How was Jordan or LeBron scored?
Both sides were scored on our athlete rubric (v3): 5 criteria, with weights declared before the run. For each criterion the judge, jev-1.13.0, picked between worded levels, and plain code turned its answers into a weighted total out of 100 for each side.
What evidence did the judge see?
A blinded evidence packet for each side, labelled Contender A and Contender B with the names removed. Every quote was matched word for word against its source by code, and counts, dates and records were computed by code. Nothing outside the packet reached the judge.
What does the margin mean?
LeBron James finished 1.9 points ahead of Michael Jordan on a 0 to 100 scale. That is under 3 points, inside our measured noise, and the winner still stands.
Can the verdict change?
No. The verdict is settled once published. It is dated as of 16 October 2026, given what was known then, and we move on to the next tie.
How do I vote?
Press Agree or Disagree under the verdict. One vote per device. Once you have voted you see how everyone else called it. Votes are counted and shown; they never change the verdict.
Photo credits