Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James gave perhaps the most illuminating interview of his career to “The Pat McAfee Show” last week, and the fallout has been epic.
James went after McAfee’s ESPN colleagues Stephen A. Smith and Brian Windhorst, while also slamming previous eras of the sport by suggesting that Milwaukee Bucks big man Giannis Antetokounmpo would score 250 points in a game if he played in the 1970s.
The sports content machine had a field day — or several of them, as it were — with James’ comments, while fans took sides on social media, and current and former player chimed in with their takes on the various bombs James dropped.
Michael Jordan, the man to whom NBA analysts most frequently compare James in the greatest-of-all-time (GOAT) conversation, shared relevant thoughts on James on the golf course a few months before the Lakers star made perhaps the biggest media waves of his 22-year career.
Former All-Star Jayson Williams shared those thoughts with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson in a video interview that aired on Monday, March 31.
“🏌️♂️Michael Jordan discussed LeBron James while on the golf course with Charles Oakley [and] Jayson Williams 🏀🔥,” Robinson captioned an X post with a link to the video interview. “While golfing with Oakley [and] Williams, [Jordan] weighed in on LeBron’s place in NBA history and said: ‘LeBron could play in ANY era.’”
LeBron James, Michael Jordan GOAT Debate Remains Lively
Getty LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
James wears the No. 23 jersey in honor of Jordan and has been open about how the former Chicago Bulls superstar has impacted his life and career in professional basketball.
Jordan played in six NBA Finals during his tenure with Chicago, winning all of them, while James has appeared in 10 NBA Finals across stints with the Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, winning four titles.
James’ career longevity has been greater than Jordan’s, and the former has passed the latter in most statistical categories as a result. James is now the all-time leader in points scored at the NBA level with 42,020 regular-season points to his name and more than 50,000 points including the playoffs. Jordan is fifth on the regular-season list with 32,292 career points.
LeBron James Has Chance to Add to Legacy at End of NBA Career Alongside Luka Doncic
GettyLeBron James (left) and Luka Doncic (right) of the Los Angeles Lakers.
James’ abilities to get downhill to the basket as well as just about anyone in NBA history, along with his capability to guard several positions and his status as one of the best passers of all-time make him a cinch as one of the best players in any era.
His sheer size at 6-feet, 9-inches tall and at least 250 pounds, plus his improved shooting ability from the mid-range and the 3-point line late in his career, cement that argument.
Still, James may never reach the heights of Jordan in the eyes of some fans and media members due to the fact that he trails in championship rings. That said, James has new life in that regard via the surprise trade the Lakers made to secure Luka Doncic in February.
Los Angeles is currently the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference and would have home-court advantage in at least one series were the playoffs to begin today. The presence of Doncic also makes a championship run over the next couple of years far more feasible, assuming James stays in the league that long.
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