Barack Obama — who formerly served as the president of the United States — spoke on the fact that Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and his son Bronny became the first father-son duo to share the floor in an NBA game. He directed plenty of praise toward the elder James and younger James.
Obama talks LeBron playing with Bronny and LeBron vs Michael Jordan on whose the GOAT pic.twitter.com/7QgiJb9Wga
— gu̸c̸c̸i̸fe̸r (@gremlinong) October 31, 2024
“I think it’s fantastic,” Obama said of the elder James and younger James playing together. “I mean, first of all, the fact that LeBron can even move at 40, basically — it’s more than impressive. It’s a freak of nature phenomenon that’s goin’ on. He’s still playing at such a high level, and for him to be able to share that with his son is remarkable.
“And I haven’t met Bronny — probably met him when he was really young, but I haven’t met him recently — by all accounts, he’s tryna earn his spot. He’s workin’ hard. He’s doin’ the right thing. He’s a good young man. So, I wish them all the best. What a joy that must be.”
However, even though the elder James just made history with his son and became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in the 2022-23 season, Obama still has former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan as his pick for the greatest basketball player ever.
“I’m from Chicago, and M.J. remains the G.O.A.T.,” he said when asked if his mind has changed given some of the elder James’ latest accomplishments. “I will say this, that if you’re just looking at, let’s say, a 10-year slice, I would say that M.J.’s peak was higher than LeBron’s. I have to give credit to LeBron’s longevity, and so they are both great in slightly different ways, and they’re both champions.
“So, you’re always gon’ be attached to the folks who were your guys when you were — and each generation’s gon’ have the folks who they love. You talk to some grandfather out there, he’ll talk about Bill Russell — won 11 championships. It’s hard to argue with somebody who won 11 championships.”
Boston Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell — who three titles during his playing career — also weighed in on the G.O.A.T. debate not all that long ago. Cassell played against both Jordan and the elder James during his time in the NBA, and he named Jordan as his G.O.A.T. and said the decision “ain’t hard” for him.
“In my opinion, it’s between LeBron and M.J., and I played against both,” he said. “Man, it ain’t hard for me at all: Michael Jordan in my aspect, but that’s no knock on LeBron. I don’t think we’ll ever see a Michael Jordan-caliber ballplayer ever, but I don’t think we’re gonna see another LeBron James, either.”
It’s important to note that when Cassell retired from playing after the 2007-08 campaign, the elder James was still a spring chicken and had yet to carve out an all-time great resume. He had yet to win an NBA title at that point and had played in only one NBA Finals.
In the many years since Cassell decided to call it quits on his NBA career, the elder James has won four titles as a member of three different teams and has competed in the NBA Finals numerous times.
To boot, former NBA player Terrence Ross recently gave his two cents on whether the elder James or Jordan is the greatest player of all time. He claimed that the elder James is unequivocally the G.O.A.T. By the time Ross kicked off his NBA career with the Toronto Raptors in the 2012-13 season, Jordan had long been retired from basketball, but the elder James was still dominating the league.
It doesn’t seem as if folks will stop debating who’s the G.O.A.T between the elder James and Jordan anytime soon, but the former is only strengthening his case as the best NBA player of all time by continuing to play at such a high level at his advanced age.
