One of the hottest NBA topics in recent years has been who is the greatest of all time (G.O.A.T.) between Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and former Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan. Both players have legitimate cases as the best player ever to touch a basketball.
But Jordan’s former teammate Stacey King seemingly doesn’t think James holds a candle to Jordan in the G.O.A.T. debate. He recently claimed on a podcast that the debate needs to stop.
“LeBron James will go down as one of the best players who ever played,” King said. “But let’s stop the G.O.A.T. debate.”
King noted that James still trails Jordan in championships and also referenced some categories where he remains behind other legends, like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (who James trails in points per game) and Wilt Chamberlain (who James trails in rebounds).
“What you are doing in 20 years, M.J. did in 13,” King said. “Let’s stop right there. You are not the G.O.A.T. You are not going to bypass Kobe [Bryant]. You are not going to bypass Kareem and Wilt Chamberlain. The G.O.A.T. conversation is over.”
However, the former NBA big man did give James his flowers in the sense that he thinks he’s still one of the all-time greats.
“He’s a great player,” he said. “He’ll be on Mount Rushmore of the greatest NBA players, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
It is true that plenty of the areas on James’ resume that look superior to Jordan’s can be chalked up to his incredible longevity. The 40-year-old has played 22 seasons in the NBA, and that’s tied for the most seasons from any one player in league history. Jordan, on the other hand, spent 15 seasons in the league (13 with the Bulls) and took multiple breaks from the NBA in that span.
But there’s also an argument to be made that James’ longevity makes his G.O.A.T. case stronger rather than weaker. He has been nothing short of an iron man during his time in the league and a model of consistency.
Jordan was barely over 40 years old when he played his last game in the league during his time as a member of the Washington Wizards, while James turned 40 in December and averaged 25-plus points, five-plus assists and nine-plus rebounds per game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
All in all, while Jordan might be the greatest basketball player ever, folks should take King’s opinions with a grain of salt, as he may have a bias toward Jordan considering he played with the Bulls icon.
It does not seem as if the debate regarding which of Jordan or James is the best player in the history of the sport will die down anytime soon.
