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Home > NBA News & Analysis > Los Angeles Lakers News & Analysis > LeBron James Explains Why He Can’t Pick Michael Jordan As His Dream Teammate

LeBron James Explains Why He Can’t Pick Michael Jordan As His Dream Teammate

LeBron James has a simple reason for not wanting to choose Michael Jordan as the former player he would want to play with.

Gautam Varier
Jun 23, 2025
5 Min Read
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Credit: Fadeaway World

Michael Jordan served as LeBron James‘ idol growing up, but the latter hilariously explained why he cannot ever say he would like to play with the former. During a live episode of the Mind the Game podcast at the Fanatics Fest in Javits Center, James was asked to name a player from a previous era that he’d want to play with.

“When you’re talking about inspiration, there was nobody more inspiring to me than Michael Jordan,” James said. “… I think our games would’ve complemented as well. MJ was a flat-out scorer… He had a scorer’s mentality. If I had to pick him, but I know I can’t him because I know how social media works.

“You motherf****** are gonna be like, ‘Oh, you want to play with Michael Jordan, too? You played with everybody else, god damnnit,'” James stated. “I didn’t ask the question. I’m only answering it, guys. I didn’t ask the question.

“But MJ was an inspiration,” James continued. “Anthony ‘Penny’ Hardaway was an inspiration to me. Grant Hill was an inspiration to me growing up. Like that point forward. Scottie Pippen. Like that point forward guys like Penny, like Grant Hill, like Scottie. Those guys kinda inspired me because I kinda wanted to be that point forward. So, those are some guys.

“I can see the headline already, ‘LeBron wants to play with Michael Jordan,'” James added. “I see it already.”

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James knows by now how every word he utters will be twisted a certain way to make him look bad. His teaming up with stars over the years is something that he has been criticized heavily for, and he doesn’t want that to be brought up again.

As for what would happen if James and Jordan were on the same team, they’d be simply unstoppable. As the Los Angeles Lakers superstar pointed out, their games are complementary.

James is always looking to give his teammates good looks, while Jordan was just a devastating scorer. In some ways, they would just be a better version of the Jordan-Pippen pairing, which won six titles together.

Pippen was a point forward like James, but he wasn’t as good as the latter in any facet of the game, apart from defense. James is a better scorer, rebounder, and playmaker than Pippen was. He and Jordan would have dismantled the NBA if they had ever teamed up.


LeBron James On His Relationship With Michael Jordan

James and Jordan have known each other for quite some time, but they don’t necessarily have a great relationship. That’s not to say there is a problem, with James stating Jordan won’t talk to him until he retires.

“So like, I think it’s ’cause I’m still playing, you know? And MJ’s, we all know MJ, even if you don’t know him personally, he’s one of the most ruthless competitors there is.”

“And ‘til I’m done, and he doesn’t have to look at me run up and down wearing the number 23, and every time my name is mentioned, it’s mentioned with his, he’s like, ‘I don’t f***ing talk to you. Don’t talk to me right now. I’m on the back nine. Do not call me.’” 

James hopes that his relationship with Jordan blossoms years down the road. He brought up how he and Kobe Bryant didn’t have a great relationship at first. They only got close after Bryant retired, and here’s hoping that happens in this case as well.

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ByGautam Varier
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Gautam Varier is a staff writer and columnist for Fadeaway World from Mumbai, India. He graduated from Symbiosis International University with a Master of Business specializing in Sports Management in 2020. This educational achievement enables Gautam to apply sophisticated analytical techniques to his incisive coverage of basketball, blending business acumen with sports knowledge.Before joining Fadeaway World in 2022, Gautam honed his journalistic skills at Sportskeeda and SportsKPI, where he covered a range of sports topics with an emphasis on basketball. His passion for the sport was ignited after witnessing the high-octane offense of the Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns. Among the Suns, Shawn Marion stood out to Gautam as an all-time underrated NBA player. Marion’s versatility as a defender and his rebounding prowess, despite being just 6’7”, impressed Gautam immensely. He admired Marion’s finishing ability at the rim and his shooting, despite an unconventional jump shot, believing that Marion’s skill set would have been even more appreciated in today’s NBA.This transformative experience not only deepened his love for basketball but also shaped his approach to sports writing, enabling him to connect with readers through vivid storytelling and insightful analysis.
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