The NBA world is constantly debating who deserves to be labeled the greatest player in the league’s history: LeBron James or Michael Jordan.
Although many fans still consider Jordan the GOAT due to his six championships and impressive legacy, the support for James has increased drastically in recent years. After all, James has plenty of stats on his side since he has been so productive for so long.
Now, James’ longevity is turning heads once again, as he received 14 NBA MVP votes (one fourth-place vote and 13 fifth-place votes). While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the 2024-2025 MVP award, James made NBA history by appearing on MVP ballots at 40 years old.
LeBron James Becomes Oldest Player in NBA History To Receive MVP Votes
James placed sixth in MVP voting, but the fact that he garnered any votes at his age is impressive. In fact, James surpassed Jordan as the oldest player in NBA history to receive an MVP vote this year. James is now the youngest and oldest player to receive MVP votes in NBA history.
Jordan’s prime might be considered better than James’, especially since he managed to win six championships in a span of seven years. Previously, Jordan was the oldest NBA player to receive MVP votes, as the NBA legend placed 13th in MVP voting after the 2001-02 NBA season when he averaged 22.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists. Jordan was 38 years old at the time.
LeBron James has replaced Michael Jordan as the oldest player in NBA history to receive MVP votes.
He’s now both the youngest (at age 19) and oldest player (at age 40) ever to receive MVP votes.
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) May 21, 2025
Despite being two years older, James’ statistics are significantly better than Jordan’s in his later years. Despite being 40 years old, the Lakers’ star averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds this season.
The players that finished ahead of James in this year’s MVP voting were Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, and Donovan Mitchell. Although James did not receive any first-, second-, or third-place votes, he still cracked the top six in MVP voting.
At this point, James’ GOAT argument largely revolves around his insane statistics and longevity, and this is just another NBA record that he now holds. Also, the fact that he took this distinction from Jordan makes it even more interesting.
The GOAT debate shows no real signs of slowing down. Although James may have surpassed Jordan in this regard, Jordan fans will be eager to point out James’ postseason failures and most recent first-round loss to Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves. It remains to be seen how long James will continue playing and whether he will be able to win another title before his career ends to further strengthen his GOAT case.
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