Los Angeles Lakers

Comparing LeBron's tenure with Lakers to MJ's time with Wizards

Published Mar. 30, 2022 9:52 p.m. ET

To say that it has been a disappointing season for the Los Angeles Lakers would be an understatement.

After acquiring Russell Westbrook in the offseason, the Lakers were expected to contend for the Western Conference crown, but the wheels have come off, and they are now facing the reality of not just underperforming, but potentially missing the playoffs entirely.

With a record of 31-44, the Lakers are currently threatening to miss the postseason for the second time in LeBron James' four years with the franchise. That has brought comparisons to Michael Jordan's stint with the Washington Wizards, where he failed to make the playoffs in two seasons.

But Skip Bayless sees the comparison as disrespectful to Jordan.

"This is an insult to Michael Jordan, whose team was better than LeBron's team is right now and yet nobody expected nothing of those Jordan teams," Bayless said on "Undisputed."

Comparing LeBron's Lakers stint to MJ's run with Wizards?

Is it fair to compare LeBron James' tenure with the Lakes to Michael Jordan's run with the Wizards? Shannon Sharpe reacts to the comparison.

The Wizards finished 37-45 in each of the two seasons Jordan played with the franchise from 2001-2003.

While James is flirting with missing the playoffs for a second time with the Lakers, he has also made the postseason twice and won a championship in 2020.

While Bayless sees the comparison as disrespectful to Jordan, Shannon Sharpe views it as equally disrespectful to James.

"In his last two years, was MJ a top 10 player? No," Sharpe said. "No matter what you think of LeBron James, do you believe currently, as you and I talk, he is a top 10 player currently? I believe you do."

While James has had more team success than Jordan in the twilight of his career, he is also still operating at a higher individual level, currently leading the NBA in scoring with 30.1 PPG.

Jordan averaged 22.9 PPG in the 2001-2002 season with the Wizards, followed by 20.0 PPG in the 2002-2003 season, which would be his last.

There is no denying that James has had an uneven four years with the Lakers, ranging from championship peaks to missing the playoffs. But it is also undeniable that he has enjoyed more team and individual success in this stint than Jordan did with the Wizards.