Joel Embiid vs. Michael Jordan: Career Scoring Comparison

We break down the scoring legacies of Michael Jordan and Joel Embiid to determine who has the better numbers. Here you can compare their career totals, points per game, games of 40+ points, 50+, etc. and their year-by-year scoring averages side by side, both in the Regular Season and Playoffs.

Player comparisons:
Career comparison / Season by season / Scoring / Stats / Stats Rankings

Michael Jordan and Joel Embiid have two of the highest career scoring averages in league history (MJ is at the top of that list and he is also one of the all-time leaders in total points) and here we compare all their scoring stats.

By taking a look at their career numbers for points, the first conclusion one can arrive at is that Michael Jordan has better scoring stats than Joel Embiid in averages and totals, both in the regular season and Playoffs. However, we won't stop there and we'll go into detail to analyze what these statistics are made up of, from how many games they had in each threshold (30+ points, 40+, 50+, etc.) to their season-by-season scoring averages.

On this page we compare:

Who has better scoring stats? Career Numbers
Games of 30+ points, 40+, 50+, etc
Shooting Stats
Points Year by Year

Career Numbers
Who has the better scoring stats?

Points in the Regular Season

In his 15 NBA regular seasons played, Michael Jordan averages 2.5 points more than Joel Embiid in his 10 seasons (30.1 points against 27.6), and he also scored a total of 19,680 points more (32,292 vs. 12,612).

Points Per Game

Seasons
Joel Embiid 27.6
10
Michael Jordan 30.1
+2.5
15

Total Points

Seasons
Joel Embiid 12,612
10
Michael Jordan 32,292
+19,680
15

Scoring Titles

Joel Embiid 2
Scoring leaderScoring leader
Michael Jordan 10
Scoring leaderScoring leaderScoring leaderScoring leaderScoring leaderScoring leaderScoring leaderScoring leaderScoring leaderScoring leader
+8

Points in the Playoffs

Similar to what happens in the regular season, in the NBA postseason Michael Jordan has a better career point average than Joel Embiid (+8.5 points per game) and he also scored more points (+4,518).

Points Per Game

Playoffs
Joel Embiid 24.9
7
Michael Jordan 33.4
+8.5
13

Total Points

Playoffs
Joel Embiid 1,469
7
Michael Jordan 5,987
+4,518
13

Points by Thresholds

Regular Season

70+ Point Games

Joel Embiid 1
+1
Michael Jordan 0

60+ Point Games

Joel Embiid 1
Michael Jordan 4
+3

50+ Point Games

Joel Embiid 8
Michael Jordan 31
+23

40+ Point Games

Joel Embiid 48
Michael Jordan 173
+125

30+ Point Games

Joel Embiid 194
Michael Jordan 562
+368

20+ Point Games

Joel Embiid 366
Michael Jordan 926
+560

10+ Point Games

Joel Embiid 447
Michael Jordan 1,059
+612

1+ Point Games (games with points)

Joel Embiid 456
Michael Jordan 1,072
+616

0 Point Games (games without points)

Joel Embiid 1
+1
Michael Jordan 0

Playoffs

60+ Point Games

Joel Embiid 0
Michael Jordan 1
+1

50+ Point Games

Joel Embiid 1
Michael Jordan 8
+7

40+ Point Games

Joel Embiid 2
Michael Jordan 38
+36

30+ Point Games

Joel Embiid 21
Michael Jordan 109
+88

20+ Point Games

Joel Embiid 42
Michael Jordan 173
+131

10+ Point Games

Joel Embiid 58
Michael Jordan 179
+121

1+ Point Games (games with points)

Joel Embiid 59
Michael Jordan 179
+120

0 Point Games (games without points)

Joel Embiid 0
Michael Jordan 0

Career Shooting Stats Comparison

more >>

Regular Season

Stats Per Game

Pts FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A% Yrs Gms
Joel Embiid 27.6 9.1 18.1 50.1 1.2 3.5 33.9 8.3 10.0 82.8 10 457
difference:+2.5+2.3+4.8+0.4+0.7+1.8+1.2+1.5+1.8+0.7+5+615
Michael Jordan 30.1 11.4 22.9 49.7 0.5 1.7 32.7 6.8 8.2 83.5 15 1,072

Total Stats

Pts FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A% Yrs Gms
Joel Embiid 12,612 4,147 8,283 50.1 540 1,592 33.9 3,778 4,564 82.8 10 457
difference:+19,680+8,045+16,254+0.4+41+186+1.2+3,549+4,208+0.7+5+615
Michael Jordan 32,292 12,192 24,537 49.7 581 1,778 32.7 7,327 8,772 83.5 15 1,072

Playoffs

Stats Per Game

Pts FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A% Yrs Gms
Joel Embiid 24.9 7.9 17.2 45.9 1.1 3.8 28.9 8.0 9.7 82.8 7 59
difference:+8.5+4.3+7.9+2.7+0.3+1.3+4.3+0.2+0.2+6+120
Michael Jordan 33.4 12.2 25.1 48.7 0.8 2.5 33.2 8.2 9.9 82.8 13 179

Total Stats

Pts FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A% Yrs Gms
Joel Embiid 1,469 466 1,015 45.9 65 225 28.9 472 570 82.8 7 59
difference:+4,518+1,722+3,482+2.7+83+221+4.3+991+1,196+6+120
Michael Jordan 5,987 2,188 4,497 48.7 148 446 33.2 1,463 1,766 82.8 13 179

Year by Year Points Average Comparison

Scoring leader= NBA Scoring Leader
NBA Champion = NBA Champion

Regular Season

Rookie Season

Points per gameYearGames
Joel Embiid 20.2
201731
Michael Jordan 28.2
+8.0
198582

Season 2

Points per gameYearGames
Joel Embiid 22.9
+0.2
201863
Michael Jordan 22.7
198618

Season 3

Points per gameYearGames
Joel Embiid 27.5
201964
Michael Jordan Scoring leader37.1
+9.6
198782

Season 4

Points per gameYearGames
Joel Embiid 23.0
202051
Michael Jordan Scoring leader35.0
+12.0
198882

Season 5

Points per gameYearGames
Joel Embiid 28.5
202151
Michael Jordan Scoring leader32.5
+4.0
198981

Season 6

Points per gameYearGames
Joel Embiid Scoring leader30.6
202268
Michael Jordan Scoring leader33.6
+3.0
199082

Season 7

Points per gameYearGames
Joel Embiid Scoring leader33.1
+1.6
202366
Michael Jordan Scoring leader31.5
1991NBA Champion82

Season 8

Points per gameYearGames
Joel Embiid 34.7
+4.6
202439
Michael Jordan Scoring leader30.1
1992NBA Champion80

Season 9

Points per gameYearGames
Joel Embiid 23.8
202519
Michael Jordan Scoring leader32.6
+8.8
1993NBA Champion78

Season 10

Points per gameYearGames
Joel Embiid 17.8
20265
Michael Jordan 26.9
+9.1
199517

Michael Jordan's additional seasons:

* Michael Jordan played 5 seasons more than Joel Embiid in the NBA.

In those years—his seasons 11 to 15, from 1996 to 2003—he averaged 26.5 points in a total of 388 regular season games. During that period, his highest average was 30.4 ppg and his lowest 20.

In those 5 extra years over Joel Embiid, Michael Jordan won 3 scoring titles.

Playoffs

Rookie Season

Points per gameYearGames
Joel Embiid -
DNP
20170
Michael Jordan 29.3
+29.3
19854

Season 2

Points per gameYearGames
Joel Embiid 21.4
20188
Michael Jordan 43.7
+22.3
19863

Season 3

Points per gameYearGames
Joel Embiid 20.2
201911
Michael Jordan 35.7
+15.5
19873

Season 4

Points per gameYearGames
Joel Embiid 30.0
20204
Michael Jordan 36.3
+6.3
198810

Season 5

Points per gameYearGames
Joel Embiid 28.1
202111
Michael Jordan 34.8
+6.7
198917

Season 6

Points per gameYearGames
Joel Embiid 23.6
202210
Michael Jordan 36.7
+13.1
199016

Season 7

Points per gameYearGames
Joel Embiid 23.7
20239
Michael Jordan 31.1
+7.4
1991NBA Champion17

Season 8

Points per gameYearGames
Joel Embiid 33.0
20246
Michael Jordan 34.5
+1.5
1992NBA Champion22

Season 9

Points per gameYearGames
Joel Embiid -
DNP
20250
Michael Jordan 35.1
+35.1
1993NBA Champion19

Season 10

Points per gameYearGames
Joel Embiid -
DNP *
20260
Michael Jordan 31.5
+31.5
199510
* season in progress

Michael Jordan's additional Playoffs:

* During his 5 additional NBA seasons, Michael Jordan played in 3 Playoffs and won 3 NBA Championships. In those postseasons he averaged 31.4 points in a total of 58 games. His highest playoff average during that period was 32.4 ppg and his lowest 30.7.

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