“That’s Why He’s in That G.O.A.T. Conversation”: How Magic Johnson Finally Acknowledged LeBron James’ Longevity After Bubble Championship

At 40 years old, LeBron James is still playing at the top of his game. The King has a resume of accomplishments longer than anyone in NBA history and hopes to add a fifth championship ring this postseason. One person who will be rooting for him is Magic Johnson. The 65-year-old Lakers icon has long been an LBJ supporter and once explained why he belonged in the GOAT conversation.

In an old interview with Business Insider, Johnson recalled LeBron’s exceptional play during the 2020 NBA season, aka The Bubble season. Despite the circumstances, James led the Lakers to their 17th championship, an accomplishment Magic believed cemented LeBron as the best in the world. “He should have been the MVP of the league during the season,” he added at the time.

Magic also touched on why he thinks LBJ has remained elite all these years. “His taking care of his body, his focus, his drive, his will, is off the charts. He’s a throwback,” said Magic. “That’s why he’s in that G.O.A.T. conversation.” But will James ever be considered the same tier as Michael Jordan? Magic thinks so.

“There’s already talk about, you know, comparing him and Michael, and there will be serious talk if he wins another one,” predicted Johnson. “It’s going to be hard. Fans are really going to be pushing for him to be right up there with Michael.” 

To be clear, Magic holds LeBron near the very top of professional basketball’s greatest-of-all-time list, but he’s previously reserved the main spot for His Airness.

Magic Johnson once stated that MJ is the GOAT because of his NBA Finals record

The GOAT debate usually contains two main sides: Team Jordan and Team James. Magic Johnson is a fan of both men. He once expressed during an interview on the Dan Patrick Show that MJ and LBJ should be celebrated forever.

“LeBron is special, and I don’t want people always getting mad,” he said at the time. “I’ve got to celebrate both guys, Michael is the best, and we should celebrate him and celebrate LeBron.”

That said, Magic did choose Jordan as his particular GOAT and had a pretty good reason why. “He’s the best to me because he never lost in the NBA Finals and he averaged over 30 points a game. The guy is just unbelievable,” he explained.

He added, “LeBron is special too in his own right too, and people shouldn’t forget that either, but when it’s all said and done, if you come at me and ask me, that’s who I am going to with and it’s MJ.”

Regardless of who you have on your list, the legacy that MJ and LBJ have left on basketball will be remembered until the end of time.

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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