Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan are widely regarded as the two best NBA players of all time.
Because of where both men stand in the history books, a quiet rivalry has always existed between them.
That tension came to a head at one point when Jordan decided to watch a game between his Charlotte Hornets and James’ then-Miami Heat.
With Miami up 20, James dunked the ball and seemingly stared Jordan down in the process:
After it happened and the incident understandably went viral, James tried to play coy.
To hear him say it, no stare down was intended.
“No, no. Don’t start that,” James said at the time.
“Absolutely not, man. Absolutely not. I was able to read McRoberts, get a steal and push the lead back up. I absolutely didn’t look at MJ, for sure.”
Many people who saw the video believe something different, though. And it’s hard not to feel like, over the years, James has done this sort of low-key stuff before. Who could forget the time he named his “NBA God” and made sure it wasn’t Jordan?
Either way, the debate regarding who was truly the superior player between Jordan and James waged on for many years to come after that moment.
At this point everyone has offered their two cents on the subject.
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant recently gave his take. Golden State Warriors big man Draymond Green did the same. As has everyone from Ray Allen to Scottie Pippen to “Dr. J.” Julius Erving.
At this point, it’s safe to say that this is a matter that won’t be resolved any time soon.
There is just too much polarization.
At least Josh Allen’s girl still had a fun night. https://t.co/Sy8O28Vw4V
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 23, 2023
When one player is retired and the other is still active, it is difficult to truly assess their places in NBA lore.
Hopefully once James hangs his kicks up for good this topic can be revisited objectively. Then a determination regarding who was truly better between him and Jordan can truly take place.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
