Following LeBron’s fourth Championship, the GOAT debate has never been hotter. With four titles having been earned on three different franchises and with countless different players, James’ case for being the best basketball player ever has gotten stronger.
And as the debate rages on, new stories continue to emerge where LeBron himself stands on the matter.
In a conversation with Bill Simmons and Ryen Russillo on the Bill Simmons Podcast, Lakers veteran Jared Dudley recalled the time he and LeBron watched “The Last Dance” together. Even with MJ’s greatness on display, not once did Bron ever admit the Bulls legend was better than him.
“No. I never heard him say a comment like that. He was just so like ‘Michael’s a bad boy’. He loved the Rodman series…,” Dudley said.
Apparently, Bron just wants to be seen as on the same level as MJ.
“He just wants to be seen eye-to-eye.”
His refusal to concede the crown should be no surprise to anyone, as LeBron’s quest for the GOAT status has been well-documented throughout his career. In fact, back in January of 2019, he let it slip that he believed his 3-1 Finals comeback against the Warriors made him the greatest.
Fast forward to the 2020 Finals, and Bron appears hesitant to put himself in that spot.
Sat down with LeBron & Anthony Davis for a post-championship conversation – on the partnership that powered the Lakers, whether LeBron wanting some "damn respect" means ranking him over Michael Jordan, plus just how much of a long-term future they both see for themselves in LA: pic.twitter.com/R0zU4cMGRH
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) October 12, 2020
Have his views changed? Is he just trying to be modest? He knows how he feels about it, but he’s leaving us to wrestle with the topic for ourselves — and it’s one we’ll be tackling for a very, very long time.
For now, all we can do is sit back and watch what he is able to do with the time he has left.
