“Michael Jordan is the GOAT, LeBron James is not far behind”: Magic legend Penny Hardaway agrees with Skip Bayless on who the greatest basketball player of all time is

Penny Hardaway says that Michael Jordan is the GOAT with LeBron James trailing not too far behind, much to Shannon Sharpe’s dismay. 

Ever since LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers won the 2020 NBA championship, making it the ‘King’s’ 4th title, the NBA community has been raging with the sole question of whether he has passed Michael Jordan as the GOAT.

Jordan, of course, is the greatest player to ever lace up on NBA hardwood due to his 6-0 record in the Finals, along with a bevy of other individual accolades. 

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The perfect representations of LeBron and Jordan fans when it comes to TV personalities would have to be Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless, respectively. The two have taken to Twitter and their show Undisputed countless amount of times to further their case on who they believe is the GOAT. 

Orlando Magic legend Penny Hardaway joined Skip and Shannon on Undisputed to give his views on the GOAT debate. 

Penny Hardaway believes Michael Jordan is the GOAT over LeBron James

In a recent appearance on Undisputed, Penny Hardaway reluctantly disclosed his choice on who believes is the greatest player in NBA history. 

“Honestly, I’d hate to compare guys, but right now, to me, Michael is the GOAT and LeBron is not far behind. It’s just my opinion.” 

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Growing up, Penny Hardaway was one of LeBron James’s favorite players, if not his favorite. It’s evident in LeBron’s play that he modelled his game around Penny’s with the explosive first step and drives to the hoop, while also playmaking at a high level. Penny was a pioneer in normalizing big guards around the league, leading the way for guys like LeBron James and Tracy McGrady. 

Hardaway shares a similar sentiment as a majority of NBA fans, in the sense that LeBron still has a little more left to prove in order to overtake Jordan as the GOAT. The perfect case for James’s candidacy for this title would be to repeat as NBA champions this year.

If the Lakers were to get through the loaded West and the Brooklyn Nets or Philly, it would be difficult for LeBron James to not be crowned with the title of GOAT.