Don't Miss

India's CWG 2026 Medal Tally Lowest In 24 Years, Yet Among The Best

Tactical Self-Destruction: How England Threw Away Their World Cup Final Dream

Bundesliga Blueprint: How Zee Plans To Complete India's Football Jigsaw

Manuel Neuer Doesn't Know Where To Stop: Not On The Pitch, Not In His Career

Advertisement

ENG

Login

Dark / Light mode

Oct 10,2026 12:12 AM IST

LeBron James Picks NBA GOAT, Says Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal Would "Say The Same"

facebook

twitter

WhatsApp

Settings

Select Language

Dark / Light mode

Search

US

arrow-down reddit snapchat twitter facebook comments email printer search bell top-nav reddit-fill snapchat-fill twitter-fill facebook-fill share whatsapp-fill bookmark arrow-rgt arrow-next arrow-up refresh close link cog star book zap cricket football tennis formula-1 badminton hockey golf boxing ndtv-n check left-arrow right-arrow

Sports Home US Sports NBA LeBron James Picks NBA GOAT Says Michael Jordan Shaquille ONeal Would Say The Same

Related Articles

Story ProgressBack to home

LeBron James Picks NBA GOAT, Says Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal Would "Say The Same"

Lakers star LeBron James has revealed who he believes is the greatest basketball player of all time.

Read Time: 2 min

facebook

twitter

WhatsApp

reddit

E-mail

LeBron James picks himself over Michael Jordan in GOAT debate.© Instagram/@Lakers

LeBron James has made his position in basketball's greatest-of-all-time debate crystal clear. The Los Angeles Lakers star says that if he had to choose the best player ever, he would pick himself. The four-time NBA champion reacted to the long-running discussion during a recent interview with Time, where he was asked about comparisons with NBA legend Michael Jordan and other basketball icons.  “I'm not taking nobody over me," James said. “There's no question."

LeBron James Makes His GOAT Pick

The debate over basketball's greatest player has divided fans for decades, with names such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Shaquille O'Neal, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar entering the conversation. For James, however, the answer begins and ends with himself.

The Lakers star explained that self-belief is a common trait among players who have reached the very top of the sport. In his view, every all-time great would likely make the same choice if asked the question.

Why LeBron James Thinks Legends Would Agree

While discussing the GOAT debate, James said confidence is part of what helped basketball's biggest names build their legacies. “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."
James suggested it is simply how elite competitors think. According to him, players who have reached that level are unlikely to rank someone else above themselves.

The Case LeBron James Makes For Himself

James also pointed to the challenge facing anyone asked to choose between basketball's greatest names. “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."

An Illustrious Career Marked By Records

James' case is backed by a career few players can match. The NBA's all-time leading scorer now has more than 43,000 regular-season points and is still going strong more than 20 years after making his league debut. Even at 41, he remains one of the game's biggest stars. Last season, he averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds in 60 games for the Los Angeles Lakers. His resume also includes four NBA championships, four MVP awards and titles with three different teams after being selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA Draft.

Topics mentioned in this article

NBA

Get the Latest Cricket, Asian Games 2026, Football , Hockey, Badminton Scores, F1 Results at NDTV Sports. Like Us On Facebook Or Follow Us On Twitter For More Sports Updates. You Can Also Download The NDTV Cricket App For Android Or iOS.

Advertisement

Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com

Advertisement

Advertisement

Now Trending

Advertisement

Trending Links

Follow us on:

facebook

twitter

Cricket

Football

More Sports

Formula 1 Tennis Hockey Badminton Golf Nba Kabaddi Shooting Swimming Table Tennis

This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics © Copyright NDTV Convergence Limited 2026. All rights reserved.