The flames of the GOAT debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James seemed to have been fanned after the latter clinched the NBA’s all-time scoring record earlier this year. Recently, Stephen A. Smith announced that Shannon Sharpe will join him on ESPN’s First Take to debate sports’ hottest topics. Well, the new pairing recently provided fans with a glimpse of what they might expect on First Take by reverting to the age-old GOAT debate.
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What started out as a barbershop conversation has slowly turned into a full-fledged heated argument between two passionate fanbases. Both MJ and LeBron have resumes that can edge out any NBA player ever. That’s why they have separated themselves from the rest in the NBA GOAT debate.
However, neither of the two icons has any bad blood with each other. In fact, back in 2012, LeBron James even tweeted out a wholesome birthday message for his role model. Apart from revealing that Michael Jordan was his idol, LBJ even regarded the Chicago Bulls legend as the GOAT.
Happy B-day to the person I idolized and wanna to be just like as a kid playing the game of basketball Michael Jordan. #TheG.O.A.T.
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 17, 2012
Stephen A. Smith backs Michael Jordan in GOAT debate with Shannon Sharpe
On the latest episode of Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast, he invited his new First Take co-host, Stephen A Smith. In the near-two-hour-long conversation, the newly formed ESPN duo spoke about a wide range of topics. However, at one point in the must-see episode, tempers started to flare. While engaging in the GOAT debate, it was soon pretty clear to fans that Smith and Sharpe were about to have a field day, because the former ardently believed MJ to be the GOAT, while the latter was a staunch advocate for King James.
SAS couldn’t highlight Jordan’s incredible 6-0 record in the NBA Finals any quicker in the debate. After explaining how MJ was the Finals MVP for all those Finals-that never once went to a Game 7, Smith scoffed at LBJ for losing 6 Finals:
“Do you understand that Jordan is 6-0 in the NBA Finals? And you understand Jordan was MVP all six NBA Finals? Do you understand that Jordan never even allowed a Finals series to go seven games?”
When Sharpe made a valid point about the Los Angeles Lakers star’s dominance, Smith dismissed it by glorifying Jordan’s two-way capabilities. Knowing very well that LeBron didn’t gather as many defensive accolades, Smith rhetorically questioned whether he was dominant on both sides of the court or not.
“10-time NBA scoring champion, 9-time All-Defensive First Team, you do know that, right? Is LeBron on both sides of the board, is he that dominant?”
Lastly, Stephen A spoke about the perception of the two players among their competitors:
“LeBron is universally respected and revered. MJ[Michael Jordan] was feared. You know the difference,” Smith declared.
Shannon Sharpe and Stephen A. Smith going at it already over the LeBron vs MJ G.O.A.T. debate 🤣🔥📺
— My Mixtapez (@mymixtapez) September 1, 2023
Sharpe tried to bring up the point that Jordan never faced a dynasty like Golden State. In response, Smith said that that’s because Jordan played for a dynasty like Golden State.
LBJ has often regarded himself as the GOAT
Michael Jordan may seem to be the frontrunner for the GOAT title to most critics. However, over the past few years, there have been a few notable instances where LeBron has tried to make a case for himself.
No one in the history of the league has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals and gone on to win the Championship. According to a statement by LeBron in 2016, achieving the unthinkable that year made him the greatest player of all-time.
This past campaign, as he was about to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the scoring record, James reiterated the same sentiment.
Hoop enthusiasts love engaging in such GOAT debates. However, it is pretty clear that these arguments won’t end anytime soon.
