Agree, LeBron is bigger and stronger, both can jump, Jordan has more competitive drive and mental toughness.
Does anyone want to bring PEDs in this topic? Lebron is Sammy Sosa times marc Mcguire. Lebron is the king of Steroids in basketball.
Was Larry on Roids? Magic? JORDAN was ripped but skinny. Lebron has been losing his hairline since 25 years old.
of course Jordan was on roids. Guy goes from getting manhandled by the Pistons and in 1 offseason gains 15 pounds of solid muscle (ona new training regimen) and wasn't manhandled again. It was the 80's when roids were everywhere. It was also the 80's when no one talked about it. Imagine the stories today where you have a player talking about how he needs to get stronger and in the course of 3 months gets ripped by using a new trainer and new training regimen. Jordan absolutely used roids, well at least by how we view players using today without any real evidence to support that.
From my experience, I think that putting on 15 pounds of muscle mass isn't that hard when you initially start lifting. It's been years, but after high school the first summer I lifted (aided by constantly doing push ups) I transformed my body and added a ton of lean weight. No steroids, supplements or PEDs. No personal trainer, either. I think that makes sense. It's similar to a diet, where people can lose a ton of weight initially, but then plateau.
Also, MJ's head didn't double in size and he doesn't have any weird growths on his jaw. Also, there are no rumors about him being linked to PED labs in Florida.
Especially at the age MJ was at at the time.
My senior year of high school I was measured at 6' 1/2", 185 pounds...with no fat. Played baseball and football. Did some lifting but was mostly a running and push up type guy.
Started lifting in college and jumped pretty quickly to 210 pounds. I think it was my time at 19-24 to put on my man muscle and the weight lifting helped. I never took supplements or steroids. Of course, this was 1983-1989 and steroids were in their infancy and not as easy to get as they were in the 90's and beyond, so the idea of taking them wasn't manifested in the society as much.
I don't think MJ took steroids. He didn't have the telltale signs of other generally perceived to have taken steroids athletes. Guys like Lebron, Dwight Howard and a whole lot of football players.