For many basketball fans and media members, the NBA’s “GOAT” debate will always center around two subjects — LeBron James and Michael Jordan.
King James’ eldest son — Bronny James — is wrapping up his rookie season in the Association, as the Los Angeles Lakers have just one contest left before the playoffs. The 20-year-old USC product has shown flashes of solid play (posting career highs with 17 points and five assists on March 20 against the Milwaukee Bucks) but has largely had minimal impact on the team.
Thanks to his lone three-pointer during the team’s 140-109 win against the Houston Rockets on Friday, however, the younger James has now matched MJ’s number of connections from deep during his rookie season with nine.
Last year’s 55th overall draft pick has played just 143 minutes across 26 games this season and has gone 19-for-57 (.333) from the field, including 9-for-30 (.300) from beyond the arc. Jordan saw the court for 3,144 minutes and appeared in all 82 contests during his 1984-85 rookie campaign, going 837-for-1,625 (.515) and went 9-for-52 (.173) from three-point land.
Looking at Jordan’s Rookie Campaign Numbers
Obviously, Bronny isn’t in the same stratosphere as Air Jordan and his future in the NBA is still very much to be determined. Still, for those who like quirky stats, this one connecting the son of a modern icon like LBJ to Jordan is fun to look at.
The Chicago Bulls legend immediately surpassed the massive expectations put on him entering the league as the third overall pick, leading the NBA in points (2,313) on his way to earning Rookie of the Year honors. Jordan also made the first of his 14 All-Star teams, was second team All-NBA and finished sixth in the regular season MVP voting after averaging 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 2.4 steals and 38.3 minutes per game.
For everything that the UNC product was, he was never a prolific shooter from outside, posting a career .327 three-point field goal percentage. Jordan’s nine makes as a rookie were the second fewest of his career where he played more than 18 games, however, and the 52 attempts were his lowest total aside from his 18-game 1985-86 season and 17-contest 1994-95 campaign.
For the most part, he opened up his range as the game changed and saw more three-point shooting across the league, as he attempted a career-high 297 three-pointers in his penultimate season with the Bulls (1996-97).
Modern-Day NBA Made James’ Feat Possible
Like most professional sports leagues, the NBA has undergone massive changes over the last four decades, spanning from Jordan’s first game in 1984 to Bronny’s debut in 2024.
Even though the number of regular season games hasn’t changed (82), among the biggest differences in the sport has been the increase in three-point shooting.
1981 Rookie of the Year Darrell Griffith of the Utah Jazz led the NBA in both three-point field goals (92) and three-point field goal attempts (257) during the 1984-85 season, while Denver Nuggets guard Mike Evans paced the Association in three-pointers per 100 possessions (1.8) and three-point attempts per 100 possessions (4.9).
Fast forward 40 years and Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards leads the league in both three-pointers made (313) and attempted (793). It’s also little surprise that Golden State Warriors icon Stephen Curry leads the NBA in both three-pointers per 100 possessions and attempts per 100 possessions, averaging a staggering 6.7 and 16.9, respectively.
The game has changed immensely since His Airness first took the NBA hardwood and is on track to look unrecognizable in another 40 years, when Bronny is 60, LeBron is 80 and Jordan (if he’s still around) will be 102 years old.
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