The history of the NBA reserves two of its highest and most important spots for LeBron James and Michael Jordan, but the road to greatness wasn’t always smooth for these living legends. Both had playoff performances that left fans in disbelief.

Who had it worse? After seven seasons without winning a single NBA title, LeBron made a bold decision — he left the Cleveland Cavaliers and signed with the Miami Heat, forming a star-studded “Big Three” alongside Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade.

LeBron managed to reach the NBA Finals in his very first season with the Heat, and just when it seemed like his long-awaited championship was finally within reach… came the worst playoff game of The King’s entire career.

The Miami Heat lost Game 4 of the 2011 NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks, 86–83, in a game that shocked fans and analysts alike due to LeBron James’s uncharacteristically quiet performance. James finished with just 8 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 0 percent from three-point range, leading analysts at Fadeaway World to label it the worst game of LeBron’s NBA Playoffs career.

From that moment on, Miami never recovered. The Heat failed to win another game in the series and ultimately lost the title 4–2.

This has often been compared to Michael Jordan’s worst playoff performance — but which one was truly worse?

LeBron James and Michael Jordan. (Photo: Getty Images)

The Chicago Bulls lost to the New York Knicks 114–97 in Game 2 of the 1989 Eastern Conference Semifinals, and Michael Jordan finished with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and shot 7-of-17 from the field. Not only did MJ score 7 more points than LeBron James did in his worst Playoff game, but he also bounced back from that rough performance and helped the Bulls win the series in six games.

Who has more Playoff wins — Michael Jordan or LeBron James?

Thanks to the fact that LeBron has played seven more seasons than the 15 Jordan spent in the NBA, he holds a clear lead in this category. James currently has a Playoff record of 184 wins and 108 losses, while Jordan’s stands at 119 wins and 60 losses.