"Better is only about championships" - Phil Jackson argued LeBron James can't surpass Michael Jordan without matching his six championships

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"Better is only about championships" - Phil Jackson argued LeBron James can't surpass Michael Jordan without matching his six championships originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Michael Jordan established himself as the benchmark in any conversation about all-time greatness. His six championships, five MVP awards, 10 scoring titles and an unmatched Finals record have built a majestic legacy, one that has shaped the very definition of dominance in the NBA.
Since the day Jordan retired for good in 2003, every generational talent that has come along, no matter how physically gifted, statistically loaded or impact-driven, has had to wrestle with the same shadow.
And among all those names, only LeBron James has come close to standing in the same arena.
LeBron's case
For all of LBJ's accolades, his four NBA titles, four MVP awards, league-wide respect and mind-bending longevity, he still lags behind in one specific department. A department that, in the eyes of legendary coach Phil Jackson, is the final frontier in the G.O.A.T. discussion.
"Better is only about championships, I think that's the only measurement that's left for LeBron that'll say he was a better ball player than Michael," Jackson said. "And people are going to argue it is the number of championships you win and that's proof of the pudding right there."
Jordan went six-for-six in the Finals without ever needing a Game 7, which has been set as the crown jewel that separates myth from mortal. James' Finals appearances, 10 in total, tell their own story of consistent dominance. But his 4–6 record in those games has long been the soft underbelly in the conversation.
While James' supporters argue that sheer longevity and all-around excellence make up for the deficit, traditionalists like Jackson remain tethered to the metric that defined previous generations: championships.
The coach who once sat courtside for every cold-blooded dagger Jordan ever dropped now sees the conversation through that same lens. Until the championship count evens up, greatness may coexist — but supremacy remains untouched.
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Being a winner
However, reducing James' legacy to only titles is to ignore a portfolio of achievements that almost no other player in league history can claim.
The 21-time NBA All-Star is the only player to score over 40,000 career points, and he's still producing at an elite level in his 22nd season. He's led the league in assists, built three different title-winning teams from the ground up and remained the axis of every franchise he's joined.
"He's an unselfish ball player; he doesn't lust to score like Michael and Kobe [Bryant] did or does," Jackson said. "Maybe when need is there, he definitely finds a way to score."
And that's been the core of LeBron's game from the beginning. While Jordan hunted for scoring titles and Kobe Bryant pursued offensive greatness with precocious obsession, James' approach has always been more inclusive — facilitating first, elevating teammates, and shifting into scoring gear when necessary.
His 2020 championship with the Los Angeles Lakers made him the first player in NBA history to win Finals MVP with three different franchises, a feat no one else on Jordan's level has replicated.
For the Cleveland Cavaliers, he fulfilled the promise of an entire city, ending a 52-year title drought in 2016 with a comeback from 3–1 down against a 73–9 Warriors team. In Miami, he formed the league's most scrutinized superteam and came away with two titles. In Los Angeles, he turned a floundering franchise back into a champion within two seasons.
However, Jackson's point rests on comparison, not contribution. Jordan's six rings weren't just wins but statements. Two three-peats, total Finals domination and an aura that never blinked under pressure.
As brilliant as he has been across two decades, James still sits two titles behind … for now.
Related: LeBron James learned from his "not six, not seven" press conference when he returned to Cleveland: "It won't be easy"
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.