The Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James debate never really ends. It always circles back to how one feels about basketball, whether it is about stats or what can be proved. Legends have different takes, and that’s okay. But surprisingly, even James’ coach in the NBA right now, JJ Redick, has refused to put him ahead of His Airness on the GOAT list.
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Older fans see MJ as the standard because he set the tone for superstardom, while younger fans watch LeBron control games in ways that didn’t even exist back then. The King had to navigate superteams, constant media pressure, and an always-on internet era that magnified every failure. In that sense, the GOAT debate isn’t about rings or stats. It’s about which kind of greatness you personally respect more.
Redick, in his latest press conference, did not choose a side. But what he did do was provide a good perspective on how both are the greatest athletes the game has ever seen.
“It’s hard to compare eras and play styles. To me it’s even harder to compare stats. Jordan is 1, LeBron is 1; Jordan is 2, LeBron is 2. However you want to do it, to me, they’re the two greatest players of all time,” stated the 41-year-old.
It’s probably the safest answer he could have given, but one that most students of the game are likely to give. There will never be a strong enough argument for either. Yes His Airness being 6-0 in the Finals is great, but LBJ was there 10 times. So, which is better?
One thing that Redick can vouch for is how LeBron prepares for a game. He’s seen it as his coach and is absolutely stunned by the amount of work LeBron puts in every single game.
“You hear stories about how LeBron prepares. Never was his teammate so I didn’t get to experience it firsthand, but now being around him the last year and a half, he’s a maniac. He’s maniacal about his approach and his preparation. Every single day is centered around how do I prepare my body and my mind to play the next game,” the Lakers head coach added.
“It’s hard to compare eras and play styles. … Jordan is 1, LeBron is 1; Jordan is 2, LeBron is 2. However you want to do it, to me, they’re the two greatest players of all time” – JJ Redick on the NBA GOAT debate, with the Lakers in Chicago pic.twitter.com/mQPZOTtL8s
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 27, 2026
At 41, LeBron is still playing at a high level, even if he has taken a few steps back from his prime. It’s something that will never be replicated. The longevity, the sustained level of play. Jordan still showed up during his Wizards era, but it was clear that it was more of a last grasp at helping the franchise out.
That’s probably the cleanest way to land this debate anyway. Not by forcing a winner, but by appreciating how rare it is to even have two answers. Jordan was the perfect storm of dominance and mystique, while LeBron has been a living case study in how greatness evolves over time. One burned brighter, the other burned longer, and both reshaped what fans expect from a superstar.
Maybe the real takeaway is that basketball got lucky enough to experience both, because arguing over which one was better is a lot more fun than realizing we’ll probably never see anything like either of them again.
