LeBron James anointed himself the G.O.A.T. nearly a decade ago after he and the Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a 3-1 NBA Finals deficit. However, one more championship and countless records later, he’s still viewed as inferior to Michael Jordan by most of his peers — both active and former players.
In a recent interview with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, James was asked to list the things he does better than Jordan, and the things “His Airness” did better than him.
“There are a lot of things that MJ did better than I do. And I think there are some things that I do better than him. That’s just how the game goes,” James responded.
“There’s a lot of things that I can say in particular,” he continued.
LeBron James vs Michael Jordan
“…I think I am one-of-one. I think the way I play the game, I am a one-of-one player. And MJ, as well. A f—ing unbelievable basketball player.”
The Los Angeles Lakers star listed Jordan’s midrange jumper and “will to win” as his two greatest strengths before detailing the exact differences between their skillsets.
“I never have compared myself to MJ because our games are totally different,” said James, who ranks No. 2 all-time in assists in the playoffs and fourth overall.
“I have been a point-forward/forward-point my whole life. I have always looked for the pass. MJ kind of looked for the shot. Not kind of, he did. He looked for the shot.
“There are a lot of things where I would say my game is a lot different and a little better than his, but s—, he was f—ing great.
“We’re both great. We’re both great basketball players.”
LeBron James Dismisses GOAT Talk
James explained why it was unfair for critics to use his 4-6 NBA Finals record to diminish his G.OA.T. case, given that Jordan went 6-0 on the same stage.
“Everybody has to say something about my career: ‘Oh, well, he made eight straight Finals, but he was only able to win three,’” James said, addressing his critics. “‘He’s the leading scorer in NBA history, but he’s played 23 years.’
“Yeah, but I am also fastest to 1,000 [points],” James continued.
“Fastest to 2,000. Fastest to 5,000. Fastest to 10,000. So when I started realizing it was just a knock on me, I started to appreciate it a little bit more. Like, I am pissed off that I didn’t have a better winning percentage individually in the Finals, but for people to try to turn it into a negative, it doesn’t bother me like it did when I was younger.”
As James winds down on his record-breaking 23rd season, he’s admittedly no longer as bothered by the G.O.A.T. conversation.
“I think it’s a very tiring conversation. It’s barbershop talk,” he said.
“You can look at both of us and say that you love both of us without trying to s— on the other person. And usually, it’s s—ting on me.
“But I know for sure that I’ve done my part in this journey and more than anything I hope — I don’t know — but I hope I made him proud at least, wearing that No. 23.”
While Jordan has never set it out loud, he’s likely “proud” of James for representing his No. 23. He congratulated the Lakers star for breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record a few years ago, calling it “an incredible achievement.”
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Lakers’ LeBron James Lists Things He Does ‘Better’ Than Michael Jordan appeared first on HEAVY.