Win Shares
An estimate of the number of wins a player contributed to their team through offensive and defensive contributions. A cumulative stat that rewards longevity.
Career Win Shares
LeBron Peak WS Season
Jordan Peak WS Season
Season-by-Season Win Shares
LeBron James
| Season | Team | GP | WS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-04 | CLE | 79 | 5.1 |
| 2004-05 | CLE | 80 | 14.3 |
| 2005-06 | CLE | 79 | 16.3 |
| 2006-07 | CLE | 78 | 13.7 |
| 2007-08 | CLE | 75 | 15.2 |
| 2008-09 | CLE | 81 | 20.3 |
| 2009-10 | CLE | 76 | 18.5 |
| 2010-11 | MIA | 79 | 15.6 |
| 2011-12 | MIA | 62 | 14.5 |
| 2012-13 | MIA | 76 | 19.3 |
| 2013-14 | MIA | 77 | 15.9 |
| 2014-15 | CLE | 69 | 10.4 |
| 2015-16 | CLE | 76 | 13.6 |
| 2016-17 | CLE | 74 | 12.9 |
| 2017-18 | CLE | 82 | 14 |
| 2018-19 | LAL | 55 | 7.2 |
| 2019-20 | LAL | 67 | 9.8 |
| 2020-21 | LAL | 45 | 5.6 |
| 2021-22 | LAL | 56 | 7.5 |
| 2022-23 | LAL | 55 | 5.6 |
| 2023-24 | LAL | 71 | 8.5 |
| 2024-25 | LAL | 70 | 7.7 |
| 2025-26 | LAL | 40 | 2.9 |
Michael Jordan
| Season | Team | GP | WS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-85 | CHI | 82 | 14 |
| 1985-86 | CHI | 18 | 1.5 |
| 1986-87 | CHI | 82 | 16.9 |
| 1987-88 | CHI | 82 | 21.2 |
| 1988-89 | CHI | 81 | 19.8 |
| 1989-90 | CHI | 82 | 19 |
| 1990-91 | CHI | 82 | 20.3 |
| 1991-92 | CHI | 80 | 17.7 |
| 1992-93 | CHI | 78 | 17.2 |
| 1994-95 | CHI | 17 | 2.3 |
| 1995-96 | CHI | 82 | 20.4 |
| 1996-97 | CHI | 82 | 18.3 |
| 1997-98 | CHI | 82 | 15.8 |
| 2001-02 | WAS | 60 | 3.3 |
| 2002-03 | WAS | 82 | 6.2 |
Analysis
Win Shares is a cumulative statistic that estimates the number of wins a player produces for their team. It was developed by Basketball Reference based on Dean Oliver's work. The metric is split into Offensive Win Shares (OWS) and Defensive Win Shares (DWS).
LeBron dominates this category with 274.3 career Win Shares compared to Jordan's 214 — a difference of 60.3 wins. This is largely a function of longevity: LeBron has played 22 seasons compared to Jordan's 15. As a cumulative stat, Win Shares naturally favors players with longer careers.
On a per-season basis, the picture changes. Jordan averaged roughly 14.3 Win Shares per season, while LeBron averages 12.5. Jordan's per-season rate is significantly higher, reflecting his more dominant peaks. Win Shares per 48 minutes (WS/48) tells a similar story: Jordan leads at 0.250 compared to LeBron's 0.228.
Both players rank among the top players in NBA history by Win Shares. LeBron is second all-time behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (273.4), while Jordan ranks outside the top 10 but with an elite rate of production. The debate here mirrors the broader GOAT debate: peak dominance (Jordan) vs sustained excellence (LeBron).
FAQ
What are Win Shares?
Win Shares estimate the number of wins a player contributed to their team. One Win Share roughly equals one win contributed. The stat combines offensive and defensive contributions into a single number.
Who has more career Win Shares?
LeBron has significantly more career Win Shares (274.3) compared to Jordan (214). However, this is largely due to LeBron's longer career. Jordan has a higher per-season and per-minute rate.
Is Win Shares a good stat?
Win Shares is useful for measuring total career value and comparing players across eras. However, it favors longevity and doesn't fully capture peak performance. It's best used alongside rate-based metrics like PER or WS/48.