James will always be number two to Jordan – Williams

Former NBA player and past president of the Jamaica Basketball Association, Ajani Williams, says LeBron James will always play second fiddle to Michael Jordan, despite James sealing his fourth NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers.

James and the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 106-93 on Sunday to win the seven-game series 4-2 and their 17th NBA Championship.

James' MVP finals performance awakened the 'Greatest of All Time' (GOAT) argument, with James winning his fourth title in six finals with three different teams (Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and LA Lakers), while Jordan amassed six titles with the Chicago Bulls in six finals appearance.

With regard to awards and accolades, Jordan, who has played fewer games than James in his career, holds the advantage with regard to championships won (6-4), MVPs (5-4), Finals MVP (6-4), All-defence (9-6) and scoring titles (10-1).

All-NBA appearances

James, on the other hand, currently leads Jordan in All-Star (16-14) and All-NBA appearances (16-11).

Jordan's 30.1 percentage points per game compared to James' 27.1 in the regular season may seal the deal for pundits, but Williams believes that sheer numbers are not the only determining factor in deciding who is the true master of the game.

"Michael Jordan's grace and artistry capture the imagination of an entire world in a way that LeBron James has not, and we have to be honest about that. LeBron cannot surpass Jordan if we are looking at it quantitatively or qualitatively as the greatest basketball player of all time," said Williams.

Williams, a former NBA player with the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks back in 2004-05, says Jordan's mastery of the game on both ends of the floor, even at the free-throw line, weighs heavily on him getting the nod over James, who enjoys more favourable numbers in the play-offs. Williams, who describes James as being a more 'evolved' Ervin 'Magic' Johnson, went on to add that James could one day be considered the greatest athlete of all time.

"The basketball ship, where the greatest athlete is concerned, has already sailed for me. Lebron can, however, go down as one of the greatest athletes of all time, surpassing Mohamed Ali, with all that he is doing on the philanthropic, social injustice activism, and economic front," added Williams.