Michael Jordan
1984–85 to 2002–03 · 15 seasons
NBA player comparison
Who was better: Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant?
Regular-season verdict
Michael Jordan ranks higher in career impact
Kobe Bryant
1996–97 to 2015–16 · 20 seasons
Impact comparison
#2LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#33
+13.6LeadsPeak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+8.0
+12.4LeadsBest 5 average impact+6.6
1.0LeadsBest 3 average finishAverage league place; closer to No. 1 is better3.7
8LeadsSeasons ranked No. 10
+9,327 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+6,096 pts
Career Impact Rank places Michael Jordan #2 and Kobe Bryant #33. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three.
Regular season only. Impact figures are estimates; small gaps are not exact. Playoffs, awards and titles do not determine the verdict.
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedMichael Jordan1.040 · No. 2Kobe Bryant4.473 · No. 33
Only the three league-finish windows below determine Career Impact Rank. Career Value and peak impact are separate measures; neither adds points to this calculation. Lower composite scores rank higher.
Michael Jordan
1.040 composite · No. 2 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 11986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 1.000 | 50% | 0.500 |
| Best 5No. 11986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11990–91Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 1.000 | 30% | 0.300 |
| Best 10No. 11986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11990–91Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11992–93Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11995–96Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11996–97Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 1.200 | 20% | 0.240 |
0.500 + 0.300 + 0.240= 1.040
Kobe Bryant
4.473 composite · No. 33 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 32002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 32005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 3.667 | 50% | 1.833 |
| Best 5No. 32002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 32005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 4.200 | 30% | 1.260 |
| Best 10No. 32002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 32005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 72007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 82006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 111999–00Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 112004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 112012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 6.900 | 20% | 1.380 |
1.833 + 1.260 + 1.380= 4.473
Averages, contributions, and totals are displayed to three decimal places. The ranking calculation keeps full source precision. Read the full method →
Full comparison · Career comparison
Understand the numbers
Start with impact, then compare playing time and skills. Team results add context. These are not categories to tally into a winner.
1 · Ranking evidence
Impact: who ranks higher, and why?
Career Impact Rank compares entire regular-season careers across NBA history. It combines average league places across the best three, five, and ten seasons, weighted 50%, 30%, and 20%. A lower rank or average place is better.
| Metric | Michael Jordan | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #2 | #33 |
| Best 3 average finish | 1.0 | 3.7 |
| Best 5 average finish | 1.0 | 4.2 |
| Best 10 average finish | 1.2 | 6.9 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Michael Jordan | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #4 | #21 |
| Peak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average | +13.6 | +8.0 |
| Best 3 average impact | +12.7 | +7.1 |
| Best 5 average impact | +12.4 | +6.6 |
| Best 10 average impact | +11.1 | +5.8 |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +9,327 pts | +6,096 pts |
| Seasons ranked No. 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Top-five impact seasons | 12 | 5 |
| Top-ten impact seasons | 12 | 7 |
2 · Playing time and responsibility
How much did each player take on?
Read games and minutes alongside impact. Offensive usage is the share of team plays a player ends with a shot, free throws, or a turnover while on court. More usage is not automatically better.
| Metric | Michael Jordan | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,072 | 1,346 |
| Minutes | 41,011 | 48,637 |
3 · Individual skills
Where does each player have an advantage?
These are each player's averages across up to ten best seasons. Career Impact Rank gives the Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 average league finishes 50%, 30%, and 20% window weights, giving the most weight to the highest peak. The model accounts for position, role, pace, playing time, and team results. Green marks a higher impact result above; these skill rows are not votes toward the ranking.
Shooting
True shooting includes two-pointers, three-pointers, and free throws.
| Metric | Michael Jordan | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 56.9% | 55.0% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 58.1% | 55.9% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Michael Jordan | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 49.7% | 44.7% |
| Three-point percentage | 32.7% | 32.9% |
| Free-throw percentage | 83.5% | 83.7% |
Passing
Assist rate is the share of teammates’ made shots assisted while the player is on court. Read turnovers alongside offensive workload; lower turnover rate is generally better.
| Metric | Michael Jordan | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 25.3% | 24.9% |
| Assists per game | 5.3 | 4.7 |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Michael Jordan | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 9.2% | 11.2% |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Michael Jordan | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 9.3% | 8.4% |
| Rebounds per game | 6.2 | 5.2 |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Michael Jordan | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 3.4% | 2.2% |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Michael Jordan | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.6% | 1.0% |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Michael Jordan | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 30.1 | 25.0 |
4 · Team context, not ranking inputs
What happened with and without them?
A verified with/without comparison is unavailable for this scope. We do not substitute another season’s observations.
Four separate questions
Impact, winning, playoffs, and awards
These are different ways to understand a career. Only Regular Season Impact determines the hussEyquation verdict. The other three sections add basketball context without adding points or changing the rank.
Regular Season Impact
Michael Jordan ranks higher in career impact.
Michael JordanMetricKobe Bryant
#2LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#33
+13.6LeadsPeak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+8.0
+12.4LeadsBest 5 average impact+6.6
+9,327 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+6,096 pts
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
The advantages are split across the available measures.
Michael JordanMetricKobe Bryant
769Listed-team regular-season wins943Leads
62.5%LeadsListed-team winning percentage59.2%
850-win team seasons11Leads
5Leads60-win team seasons3
13Playoff team seasons16Leads
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Final records for every listed team-season. A traded season can include more than one team.
Playoff Résumé
The advantages are split across the available measures.
Michael JordanMetricKobe Bryant
13Playoff appearances15Leads
179Playoff games220Leads
119Team playoff wins137Leads
6Finals appearances7Leads
6LeadsChampionships5
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.
Awards
The advantages are split across the available measures.
Michael JordanMetricKobe Bryant
14All-Star18Leads
5LeadsMVP1
11All-NBA15Leads
9All-Defense12Leads
1LeadsDPOY0
1LeadsRookie of the Year0
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Major regular-season honors are recognition, not inputs to the impact ranking.
How each context field is counted
- Listed-team regular-season wins
- The sum of each listed team's final wins in every season the player represented that team.
- Listed-team winning percentage
- Those team wins divided by those teams' total regular-season games.
- 50- and 60-win team seasons
- Listed team-seasons that finished with at least 50 or 60 wins. Shortened seasons are not projected to 82 games.
- Team seasons reaching playoffs
- Listed team-seasons in which that team qualified for the playoffs.
- Playoff appearances and games
- Postseasons and games in which the player appeared.
- Team playoff wins
- Team wins from those postseasons. They describe team results, not individual credit.
- Finals appearances and championships
- Seasons when the player appeared in the playoffs for the finalist or champion.
- Awards
- Recorded NBA selections and major regular-season honors. A zero means the source records none; Not available means the source field is missing.
Source and scope Basketball Reference, NBA seasons 1950–51 through 2025–26, accessed 2026-10-09.
Career Shape Explorer
How the careers developed
Follow every regular season by NBA experience or age. This view describes the path; it does not create another verdict.
Michael JordanKobe BryantPeak seasonHistorical source qualification
Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average
Striped bars mark seasons with fewer than 40 games. A dashed mark means that player had no season at the aligned point.
Season-by-season evidenceRead both careers at the same stage
Every observed season keeps its age, era-centered impact estimate, league rank when qualified, career-stage label, and exact evidence link. A missing career point stays missing.
Michael JordanNBA seasonKobe Bryant
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
Season 10
Season 11
Season 12
Season 13
Season 14
Season 15
No season
Season 16No season
Season 17No season
Season 18No season
Season 19Observed values come from the accepted season comparison record. Historical source qualifications stay attached to affected seasons. Missing means no NBA season exists at that aligned point; it is never interpolated. Missing is not the same as estimated.