If there is one 80’s player I’d like to see match-up against LeBron, it wouldn’t have been Charles Oakley, Laimbeer, Barkley, or Malone. Those 4 aren’t fast enough to keep up with LeBron. Steve Nash once said LeBron was the fastest player from stripe-to-stripe that he’d ever played against. LeBron also has a height advantage over Michael Jordan and most 2’s and 3’s that come to mind.
No, the 80’s player who I think could match 6’9” LeBron’s size and speed is 6’9” Magic Johnson. You could match them up and say maybe LeBron was better than Magic at this or that, but remember that basketball is a team game. Is there anyone who thinks LeBron makes his team better than Magic who got his team to the NBA finals 9 times in 12Mayears? Was 1 of only 3 players in NBA history to get 700 points, 700 rebounds, and 700 assists in a single season? Won 5 NBA Championships? Was the NBA season assists leader 4 times and the season steals leader 2 times? This is a personal judgement, but I also think Magic was far superior at working the crowd and the refs.
Is there anyone who knows Magic’s game that will take the position that a team made up of 4 guys playing with Magic Johnson would lose to a team made up of those exact same 4 guys playing with LeBron? No way. LeBron would get smoked.