Jordan definitely higher at home for steals and blocks. Checked the other steal leaders from the same year and it seems consistent that the steal/block stats were up when at home. So, he's still likely ahead and winning DPOTY either way.

I’m surprised this is how you’re choosing to go on this one tbh. “Stats were up when at home”, but not to the tune of nearly double.

Turns out the one simple trick on the LBJ / MJ debate is to go back and actually watch MJ’s games in full. The legend is bigger than the tape…which is really why eras shouldn’t be compared.

Can you please give the name, or cite the source (website, article, book, whatever), of one single person who has stated Jordan’s “legend” is due to his steals+blocks total from the 1987-88 season?

Once you do that we can discuss if his inflated home steals+blocks stats are within normal ranges of variance of the extremely common phenomena of home stats being inflated.

I've never understood why in pro sports the home team and not the league is in charge of scoring. We wouldn't let them pick referees and umpires. In the second half of his career Derek Jeter could hit a routine ground ball through a fielders legs in Yankee Stadium and it would be called a hit.
And there's way more wiggle room in basketball for fake stats than in baseball.

I'm not sure if it's still the case but I remember in the NBA the home team was also in charge of the clock. The last play of the Spurs Knicks finals in 1999 is really hilarious. The Knicks were down by 1 or 2 with less than 2 seconds left and the clock didn't start for probably a full second once Spreewell got the ball..

Agree 100%. Makes no sense to have the home team in charge of clock and keeping stats.

Careful bringing up Derek Jeter though, you’re gonna get LeBron fans to put in months of research to discredit his hit totals to ensure he’s ahead on the GOAT athlete list. Just kidding (or am I?).