Rich Paul rarely gives ground in the greatest of all time debate. For years, he has been one of LeBron James‘ loudest and most consistent defenders, pushing back on every Michael Jordan argument. That is why his latest comment has shocked the NBA World.
On the Game Over podcast, Paul drew a clear line:
“If I’m starting a basketball team, I’m taking LeBron number one overall. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it.”
“If I want someone to take, and I know LJ’s statistics are off the charts, even with this as well. If I want the single last shot, I’m taking Michael Jordan. No question about it.”
These comments, coming from Rich Paul, it feels seismic.
Paul has built his public basketball identity around LeBron. He has argued context, efficiency, decision making, longevity, and IQ every time the GOAT debate resurfaces. He has defended LeBron from criticism about clutch moments, last shots, and pass-first tendencies. So to hear him openly say that, with everything on the line, he would rather have Jordan take the final attempt was jarring.
But it also revealed something deeper. This wasn’t a shot at LeBron. It was an admission about how differently greatness can show up in basketball.
Paul’s logic was clean. If you are building a team from scratch, you take LeBron James first. His size, vision, durability, and ability to raise the floor of every lineup make him the ultimate foundation. He controls games in ways no one else ever has. He bends defenses before the ball even moves. He makes the correct read over and over again, especially in the biggest moments.
That’s why, as a basketball purist, I still want LeBron with the ball at the end of a game. If the defense collapses, he will find the open man. If there is a mismatch, he will exploit it. If the clock forces a tough decision, he will usually make the right one. End-of-game basketball is not just about shooting. It is about problem-solving. LeBron is the best problem solver the sport has ever seen.
But Paul wasn’t talking about decision trees or optimal outcomes. He was talking about the last shot. One possession. One release. No adjustments.
And that’s where Michael Jordan still lives alone.
Jordan was built for that moment in a way that defies logic. The confidence was absolute. The footwork was precise. The separation was inevitable. Defenses knew what was coming and still couldn’t stop it. He didn’t need the possession to make sense. He needed space, rhythm, and belief. And when the moment arrived, he wanted the burden.
That difference matters. LeBron is wired to win the game. Jordan was wired to end it.
What made Paul’s comment resonate is that it cut through years of absolutism. It admitted nuance in a debate that rarely allows it. The best team builder ever versus the most ruthless closer ever. Both truths can exist.
Even now, if you asked me who I want making the final play, I would still say LeBron James. I trust him to win the possession, not just take the shot. But if you strip it down to one moment, one jumper, one breath held in an arena, Jordan is the answer most people will give, whether they admit it or not.
