The debate about who is the greatest NBA player of all time has been ongoing throughout LeBron James’ career and will continue long after he has retired. However, it’s pretty clear where he stands on the issue.
While LeBron does not often address the issue directly, instead leaving that conversation for the fans and media, he did answer the question during a recent interview, where he certainly was not shy about picking himself as the GOAT of the NBA.
‘Nobody Over Me’
During a recent interview with Time Magazine, James was asked about the ongoing debate between himself and Michael Jordan regarding who is the true GOAT of the sport.
James made it pretty clear who he was picking in the debate: himself.
“I’m not taking nobody over me,” James told Time as part of a profile on Monday. “There’s no question.”
That said, he acknowledged that most great players in NBA history like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant would probably say the same thing.
“But I think Mike will say the same thing,” James said. “Rest his soul, Kobe will say the same thing. Magic will say the same thing. Bird will say the same thing. Shaq could say the same thing. The late great Wilt. Kareem. I don’t think none of us are going to take somebody else.”
But he’s still picking himself over all of them, and he thinks everyone else should, too.
“If there’s a general manager and he’s eyeballing all of us on a baseline, with the No. 1 pick, it’s gonna be hard not to take me, champ,” he said.
More Influential?
Despite his confidence in himself as a player, LeBron was less certain when asked who was the more influential player off the court between him and Jordan during a different point in the interview.
“You ask somebody that grew up in the Jordan era, they’re gonna say Jordan,” James said. “You ask somebody who grew up in the LeBron era … they’re still gonna say Jordan.”
LeBron did not sound all that concerned about measuring that part of his legacy.
“Listen, to each his own,” he said. “I can tell you this. I never step my feet in another man’s shoes, saying, ‘OK, well, [expletive], I got to do better than him.’ My journey is my journey. I do what I do. I know what I’ve brought to the table. From a basketball standpoint, an inspiring standpoint, an influential standpoint, I know I can walk in any room.”
James is still adding to his NBA legacy even at 41 years old.
About Dave Kelsey
Contributing author to The Comeback.