{"id":695156,"date":"2026-06-10T07:22:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T07:22:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/695156\/"},"modified":"2026-06-10T07:22:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T07:22:08","slug":"lakers-lebron-james-makes-bold-claim-regarding-nba-goat-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/695156\/","title":{"rendered":"Lakers’ LeBron James makes bold claim regarding NBA GOAT debate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lakers’ LeBron James makes bold claim regarding NBA GOAT debate <\/a> originally appeared on The Sporting News<\/a>. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Everyone has an opinion when it comes to the GOAT debate, and Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> star forward LeBron James<\/a> is no different.<\/p>\n

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In a recent interview<\/a> with Time magazine, James was asked for his two cents on the debate, and he shared an answer that is sure to generate some controversy.<\/p>\n

LeBron James wouldn’t take anyone over himself in GOAT debate<\/p>\n

In a hypothetical fantasy draft that included every player ever, James made it clear that there’s no one he would select over himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not taking nobody over me. There\u2019s no question. But I think Mike [Jordan] will say the same thing. Rest his soul, Kobe<\/a> [Bryant] will say the same thing. Magic<\/a> [Johnson] will say the same thing. [Larry] Bird will say the same thing. Shaq could say the same thing,” James said.<\/p>\n

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“The late great Wilt [Chamberlain]. Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar]. I don\u2019t think none of us are going to take somebody else. If there\u2019s a general manager and he\u2019s eyeballing all of us on a baseline, with the No. 1 pick, it\u2019s gonna be hard not to take me, champ.\u201d<\/p>\n

Given all that he has accomplished over the course of his long and well-decorated career, James has every reason to think that he’s the best player of all time. Many others would agree with him. Of course, many others would disagree, but that’s what makes the debate fun and interesting.<\/p>\n

James is also probably correct in saying that most all-time greats would pick themselves. It’s just how those guys are wired. Frankly, it would have been surprising if James picked anyone else.<\/p>\n

More NBA news:<\/p>\n

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