As the U.S. men’s national team seeks its fifth consecutive gold medal, one player who was a part of the team that started the streak in 2008 will be present on the roster.
LeBron James, who debuted on the Olympics stage 20 years ago, is back in search of his third Olympic gold medal in what could be his final time suiting up for the red, white, and blue. If James were to win a third gold medal, it would break a tie with Michael Jordan, who won gold medals at the 1984 and 1992 Olympics.
Much like their respective NBA careers, the Olympic journeys of James and Jordan are very different.
While James made his debut after his rookie season, he was just 19. Jordan, who made his Olympic debut ahead of his rookie season, did so at 21 years old and at a time when NBA players could not play for Team USA. After that ruling that was overturned in 1992, Jordan returned to play for the Dream Team, one of the most impactful teams in basketball history.
With James making his fourth Olympic appearance, there’s no better time to see how his international accolades measure up to Jordan’s.
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LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan: Olympics stats
James’ scoring numbers take a hit because of his paltry averages during the 2004 games. Jordan was a dominant scorer in 1984 and 1992 while James’ scoring came along in his last two Olympic appearances.
Per game averages
| James | Jordan | |
| PPG | 11.4 | 16.0 |
| RPG | 4.0 | 2.7 |
| APG | 3.7 | 3.4 |
| SPG | 1.5 | 2.8 |
| BPG | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| TO/G | 1.4 | 2.0 |
| MPG | 20.4 | 22.3 |
| FG% | 60.1 | 49.8 |
| 3P% | 37.9 | 21.1 |
| FT% | 59.5 | 68.2 |
Total stats
| James | Jordan | |
| Games | 24 | 16 |
| Points | 273 | 256 |
| Rebounds | 95 | 43 |
| Assists | 88 | 54 |
| Steals | 36 | 45 |
| Blocks | 10 | 4 |
| Turnovers | 34 | 32 |
| Minutes | 489 | 357 |
| FG-FGA | 113-188 | 111-223 |
| 3P-3PA | 22-58 | 4-19 |
| FT-FTA | 25-42 | 30-44 |
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Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Olympics medals, records
Team USA’s 5-3 mark at the 2004 Olympics is the biggest stain on LeBron’s Olympic resume. He has not lost at the Olympics since. Jordan never lost a game in the Olympics and also has the edge for best scoring performance.
It’s worth noting that James’ Olympic career high in rebounding and assists came in the same game. He turned in an 11-point, 14-rebound, 12-assist triple-double in a win over Australia in 2012.
| James | Jordan | |
| Gold medals | 2 | 2 |
| W-L | 21-3 | 16-0 |
| High points | 20 | 24 |
| High rebounds | 14 | 4 |
| High assists | 12 | 12 |