Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is undeniably one of the two greatest players in the history of basketball.
As he graced the cover of TIME’s first list of the top 100 most influential figures in sports, James spoke to Sean Gregory and noted that he believes he is the undisputed GOAT.
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“I’m not taking nobody over me. There’s no question. But I think Mike will say the same thing,” James said. “Rest his soul, Kobe will say the same thing. Magic will say the same thing. Bird will say the same thing. Shaq could say the same thing. The late great Wilt. Kareem. I don’t think none of us are going to take somebody else.”
While he clearly has no questions about his status as the greatest ever, James also noted that he doesn’t strive to be better than any one player.
“I never step my feet in another man’s shoes, saying, ‘OK, well, s–t, I got to do better than him.’ My journey is my journey. I do what I do. I know what I’ve brought to the table.”
For practically a decade, the fiery debate between James and Michael Jordan has raged on. When it comes to championships. Jordan has the edge, but that’s where much of his GOAT case lives and dies.
James has the upper hand in many other areas, with these advantages growing as James continues to defy Father Time.
“If there’s a general manager and he’s eyeballing all of us on a baseline, with the No. 1 pick, it’s gonna be hard not to take me, champ.”
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
