The debate over the greatest player in NBA history isn’t going away anytime soon, but if you ask LeBron James where he stands, his answer is simple.
He’s taking himself.
James was asked about his place among basketball’s all-time legends, in a recent interview.
While many fans continue to argue over names like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird and Wilt Chamberlain, LeBron made it clear where he ranks himself.
“I’m not taking nobody over me,” James said, via Time Magazine’s Sean Gregory. . “There’s no question. But I think Mike will say the same thing. 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. 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.”
At this stage of his career, LeBron certainly has a case.
The four-time NBA champion has put together one of the longest and most accomplished careers professional sports has ever seen. He remains one of the league’s elite players despite approaching his 41st birthday and has continued adding to records that may never be broken.
James also reflected on how far he’s come from his upbringing in Akron, Ohio, discussing the motivation that pushed him throughout his journey.
“I just knew the police sirens and all that type of sh-t was not for me,” James said. “I knew that the handcuffs was not for me.”
Whether fans place him first, second or somewhere else on their personal GOAT list, James clearly isn’t interested in making a case against himself.
And if the debate ever comes down to LeBron’s vote, the winner is already decided.
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