Why LeBron James Says He's Never Compared His Game to Michael Jordan's

Once again, it has been made abundantly clear that the people at the center of basketball's GOAT debate-namely, Michael Jordan and LeBron James-do not care about the conversation at all.

Roughly two months after Jordan revealed in an interview with NBC that the "Greatest of All Time" debate "doesn't exist with me at all," James has weighed in on the topic in a new, wide-ranging piece with ESPN. Speaking with the outlet's Dave McMenamin, the Lakers forward explained that while he, of course, respects and honors Jordan, he doesn't consider there to be some sort of unspoken competition between the two at all.

"I never have compared myself to MJ because our games are totally different. I have been a point-forward/forward-point my whole life. I have always looked for the pass. MJ ... looked for the shot," James said.

But "we're both great basketball players."

"There are a lot of things that MJ did better than I do," he continued. "And I think there are some things that I do better than him. That's just how the game goes."

And at this point, he thinks the ongoing comparisons between himself and the former Bulls guard make for a "very tiring conversation. It's barbershop talk.

"You can look at both of us and say that you love both of us without trying to s--- on the other person. And usually, it's s---ting on me. But I know for sure that I've done my part in this journey and more than anything I hope-I don't know-but I hope I made him proud at least, wearing that No. 23."

What Jordan has said about the GOAT debate

Speaking with NBC's Mike Tirico in an interview aired in early March, Jordan vehemently maintained that the Greatest of All Time moniker holds no weight in his eyes.

"The ‘GOAT' term is never gonna be something that I ever will get high or low about. It just doesn't exist with me. I never played against Oscar Robertson or Jerry West. Would've loved to," he said.

"And I actually learned from them. And we paved the way for the Kobes and the LeBrons, right? And to me, that's the beauty of the game of basketball that a player, after a previous player, has evolved the game further. But don't then ... now use that against the players that actually taught you the game or that you learned from. That's why I have a tough time [with the GOAT talk]. Look, I would have loved to play against LeBron and Kobe in my prime. ... But we'll never be able to know that.""

Moreover, he believes it's a narrative that pits players against one another.

"I have no animosity against today's players, but you do have certain players that do have animosity because of the forgotten-ness of what their contribution has been to the game of basketball," Jordan, who won six championships with the Bulls, went on. "It is what it is. It is an empty comparison. [We'll] never absolutely find the true answer to that question."

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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 8:40 AM.