Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant called out Michael Jordan, saying he thought he could “cook” MJ, but how do the two actually compare in terms of stats?
It takes a brave man to claim he could have “cooked” Michael Jordan at a basketball game.
This is MJ—one of the biggest sports icons on the planet who with the Chicago Bulls in the ’90s dominated the NBA—we’ll forget his baseball career.
Ja Morant appears to be that brave – saying he would have loved to play against Jordan in his prime when asked by Bleacher Report – before adding that he could have “cooked it”.
Coming from a guy who’s been in the NBA since 2019, that’s a bold prediction.
So how exactly do the similar stats stack up between Michael Jordan and Ja Morant?
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Michael Jordan and Ja Morant stats
Jordan was a junior keeper/forward for the Bulls while Morant was a keeper for the Grizzlies so things are a little different in terms of their positioning.
But when you’re on a basketball court, this is a basketball game.
This comparison won’t include things like the regular season’s total score (32,292 for MJ vs. Morant’s 3,961) for the obvious reason that one has been around for a little longer than the other.
Jordan played 1,072 against Morant’s 187 so any “score” or “assist” would not give a fair reversal.
It will also exclude NBA Playoff numbers for the Totals column.
Perhaps the biggest thing for a basketball player is passing the ball through the hoop – so let’s take a look at how Jordan and Morant share their field goal, three-pointers and free throws – which are actually pretty close in the regular class
- Three indices – Jordan .327% vs. Morante .327% – 0% difference
- Field Target – Jordan .497% vs. Morant .474% – 0.23% for Jordan
- Free Throw – Jordan .835% vs. Morant .754% – 0.71% for Jordan
For the same NBA comparisons, Morant is 0.1% better at three-pointers, while Jordan has a similar lead on field goals and free throws.
Points per game in the regular season and play-off matches
Jordan averaged 33.4 points per game in his long career, with Morant not far behind at 28.2—although MJ expanded his playoff lead to 13.5% with 43.7.
Morant actually produces more assists per game in the NBA Playoffs than Jordan did at 9.2 for 5.7 and also leads the playoff rebounds 6.9 to 6.4.
Jordan tops both the aforementioned metrics from 8.0 to 7.4 and 5.7, respectively, again in the regular season.
Other tournaments and prizes
Jordan played for 15 seasons in the NBA, among the best players the league has ever seen, such as Scotty Pippen, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.
Morant played three times against the likes of Steve Curry, LeBron James and Giannis.
MJ walked away with five seasons MVPs and six NBA Finals. Morante doesn’t have anything in both.
The Bulls legend also tops the All-NBA Team picks 11-1, and is a 10-time leader.
However, Morant is on par with the great guy, and both were awarded Rookie of the Year in their first season in the NBA.
Jordan has been selected 14 out of 15 NBA All-Stars, with Morant selected once in three attempts.
MJ has missed the NBA playoffs twice in his career, while Morant has missed once.
In terms of championships, Michael Jordan has six episodes – while Ja Morant is still waiting for his first.
Jordan also won two Olympic gold medals in Los Angeles 1984 and Barcelona 1992, while Morant was not selected for the Tokyo 2020 team.
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