The intricate relationship between each era of the NBA makes the game exciting and ever-changing. At the same time, this gives rise to internal competition, where blatant bias starts to cloud judgment. One such example of internal competition is the Michael Jordan vs LeBron James debate.

The names of these two icons in a single sentence always spark the greatest of all-time or GOAT arguments. A former NBA Head Coach recently reopened that chapter of discussion with his comments.

Whom did he pick?

In a podcast episode of The Players’ Tribune, Stan Van Gundy clarified his take on the never-ending GOAT debate. The former Miami Heat coach said, “If you want to tell me that Michael Jordan was a better basketball player than LeBron James, that’s fine,” solidifying that the 6-time NBA champion had more attributes. He then added that Jordan had a worse career than LeBron, declaring his seven-word bomb, “You can’t make a case for that.” 

Stan Van Gundy:

“If you want to tell me that Michael Jordan was a better basketball player than LeBron James, that’s fine. You can make a case for that. What you can’t make a case for is that MJ had a better career than LeBron. You can’t make a case for that.”

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— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 21, 2023

His standpoint has reignited the GOAT debate between these two. Van Gundy is one such persona who has seen both the eras and both the players. So, whatever he states on this particular matter carries a lot of volume and that’s exactly the case this time around.

Despite having more championships than James, Michael had fewer Finals appearances than him. Also, the Los Angeles Lakers star has more All-Stars to his name alongside proving his worth for three different franchises. With this discussion around them always seems to start a chain reaction, the NBA fans often forget one thing.

The unique bond between Michael Jordan and LeBron James

The former Chicago Bulls superstar was reportedly a major influence on the four-time NBA champion since his young age. Since stepping onto the court as a young rookie, the expectations were high for LeBron. In his illustrious career, he proved himself an era-defining icon time and again.

via Imago

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In public, they rarely shared a close bond. But to date, the Lakers talisman speaks highly of his role model. Mike also has been appreciative of James throughout his basketball journey, indicating mutual respect between them.