| 100% | GOAT | 4 | Either Michael Jordan or LeBron James, in a common debate: Abbr. |
| 33% | NBAMVP | 6 | LeBron James or Stephen Curry, once, in brief |
| 31% | MVP | 3 | Award for the best athlete in a game or season: Abbr. |
| 31% | NBA | 3 | Jordan has a part in it: Abbr. |
| 31% | NBA | 3 | Michael Jordan entered this league in 1984: Abbr. |
| 30% | BALDNESS | 8 | What Mr. Clean, Captain Picard and Michael Jordan have in common |
| 30% | TEEN | 4 | LeBron James in his N.B.A. debut, e.g. |
| 30% | ASL | 3 | A fist might represent A or S in it: Abbr. |
| 30% | SIDE | 4 | Pro or con, in a debate |
| 30% | SIDE | 4 | Affirmative or negative, in a debate |
| 29% | TWIN | 4 | Either role played by Michael B. Jordan in 2025's "Sinners" |
| 29% | ILL | 3 | Sick, in either a good or bad way, potentially |
| 29% | ETA | 3 | When a plane or train is due in: Abbr. |
| 29% | HAMONRYE | 8 | Common deli order ... or a literal occurrence five times in this puzzle |
| 28% | NAPLES | 6 | City on a gulf in either Europe or the U.S. |
| 28% | PARTYINTHEBACK | 14 | Mullet's defining feature, in a common saying ... or, literally, what the answers to the starred clues have in common? |
| 28% | NBAALLSTAR | 10 | Michael Jordan or Dr. J |
| 28% | TIE | 3 | Either blank in the common internet search "how to ___ a ___" |
| 28% | TARHEEL | 7 | Michael Jordan or Mia Hamm, collegiately |
| 27% | STAFFROOM | 9 | Common place for teachers in a school or college |
| 27% | STATE | 5 | Golden ___ Warriors, team against which LeBron James led Cleveland Cavaliers to a win in the 2016 NBA finals |
| 27% | ANAG | 4 | Either of matching words, in a way: Abbr. |
| 27% | RALLY | 5 | Join in a common cause |
| 27% | DRAWTOGETHER | 12 | Unite in a common cause |
| 27% | TEAR | 4 | Apostrophe in a common emoji |
| 27% | MPH | 3 | What the speed of a tennis serve or baseball pitch is measured in: Abbr. |
| 27% | NBA | 3 | Organization in which Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant played: Abbr. |
| 27% | NBA | 3 | The league in which LeBron James plays: Abbr. |
| 27% | TWO | 3 | Number of fingers in a victory sign, or what is common in 19a, 28a, 37a, 47a, 5d and 46d |
| 27% | ANS | 3 | A, B, C or D, in multiple choice: Abbr. |