In what can only be described as the most audacious idea yet to settle the greatest debate in basketball history, YouTube titan MrBeast has floated a fantasy matchup that would break the internet: LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan in a one-on-one duel. But there’s a catch: LeBron would be handicapped.
“Like, so one of my most viewed videos in the last year is where I had Ronaldo 1v1 like a random fan for a million dollars. People loved it.”
“And so I was just randomly thinking the other day, I was like, imagine if we got LeBron and Michael Jordan to 1v1, but we like handicapped LeBron in some way. They would never do it, but like imagine if we could get that to happen. You know how fucking crazy that would be?”
MrBeast tells Adin Ross he wants to make a LeBron James vs Michael Jordan 1v1 video but LeBron has to be handicapped in some way 👀 pic.twitter.com/EiQHn9IJu3
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) August 2, 2025
Yes, you read that right. Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, recently appeared in a co-stream with fellow internet star Adin Ross, where he casually dropped the bombshell.
Reflecting on a past video where Cristiano Ronaldo took on a random fan with $1 million at stake, MrBeast proposed a similarly wild challenge: get LeBron and MJ to go head-to-head. To level the playing field, considering Jordan is now 62 and LeBron is still an athletic monster at 40, the YouTuber suggested handicapping the Los Angeles Lakers star.
Of course, the internet exploded with suggestions. Tie LeBron’s shoes together. Make him play blindfolded. Take away his dominant hand. Or, as some joked, just don’t let him score. It’s absurd and clearly not meant to be taken entirely seriously, but the mere thought of this dream scenario sent fans into a frenzy.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t just any fan’s delusion. MrBeast is arguably the most influential content creator on the planet, with the financial means and global reach to at least make a pitch to both legends. Adin Ross was quick to hype up the idea, saying if anyone could make it happen, it was MrBeast. Even if it never sees the light of day, the buzz was immediate and relentless.
Let’s face it, this matchup will almost certainly never happen. Not because people don’t want it, but because both LeBron and Jordan have far too much to lose. At their core, both are fiercely competitive and legacy-conscious.
Neither would want to walk away with an “L,” even if the circumstances were absurd. A handicapped exhibition would invite questions, memes, and media pressure that no PR team on Earth would willingly invite.
Still, the idea isn’t entirely without precedent. LeBron has openly admitted to once sharing the court with MJ in a pickup game when he was just 16. It wasn’t one-on-one, but it happened.
That story, where a teenage LeBron faced legends like Penny Hardaway and Ron Artest alongside Jordan, has only added to the mythical allure surrounding both players.
Jordan, for his part, was once known to challenge Charlotte Bobcats players to competitive games well into his 40s and early 50s. But 62? That’s a different beast altogether. Meanwhile, LeBron just wrapped up a season where he averaged 24.4 points and 8.2 assists per game, ranked 13th in scoring, and finished sixth in MVP voting, at 40 years old.
Even with a handicap, it’s hard to envision a matchup that wouldn’t make LeBron the overwhelming favorite. Which is why, as hilarious and exciting as the idea is, it likely stays in the world of fantasy.
But when MrBeast dreams, the world listens.
