“No NBA Player Thinks He’s The GOAT”: LeBron James Isn’t Respected As Much As Michael Jordan, According To Kwame Brown

The GOAT debate between LeBron James and Michael Jordan is among the most tired yet inescapable discourses that exist in sports. It has been discussed to death on TV shows, podcasts, radio, and social media, and was perhaps even a hot topic at family gatherings on Thanksgiving last week. Former first-overall pick Kwame Brown has reason to be in the Lakers icon’s corner. During their time together in Washington, he was a victim of the Bulls icon’s unrelenting pursuit of greatness. But despite Jordan’s ill-treatment, he continues to side with the six-time NBA champion.

Not only is Brown an ardent backer of his former teammate’s status as the GOAT, he believes James doesn’t even qualify to be in the running for that crown. In a video about the subject on his YouTube channel ‘Kwame Brown Bust Life,’ the former Wizards center argued the Lakers superstar has never been on Jordan’s level, an opinion that he claims every player in the NBA shares. He said,

“LeBron is the GOAT because LeBron controls the media. No NBA player thinks LeBron is the GOAT. I don’t give a damn how much you slice it, how much you dice it. He has great numbers. He has great whatever. He has the best whatever. No NBA players believe that with the heart of hearts.”

Brown added that the media pits the two icons and debates their candidacy as the GOAT to stir up controversy and lure fans in,

“Half of the other sports commentators, if you ever notice, one minute they say LeBron’s the GOAT and the next minute they’ll MJ is the GOAT. And the next minute, they’ll say LeBron is the GOAT. It’s just for clicks.”

As everyone else’s take on the subject, the retired center’s opinion about the GOAT debate is subjective. He’s free to believe whatever he wishes. However, he seemingly has some vendetta against James, evidenced by his view on the forward’s skill set.

Kwame Brown’s bizarre take on LeBron James’ ability

During an appearance on the Swish Culture podcast earlier this year, the former Wizards star claimed James’ impact stems from his otherworldly athleticism, but skill-wise, he’s a substandard player. He said,

“At 39, he should have developed a mid-range and a post-game, and he still hasn’t yet. He still has the athletic ability to just go 94 feet, which, I don’t know how, but he still has it. But if he didn’t have this athleticism, his game really hasn’t evolved outside of a three and putting his head down and going to the basket. He doesn’t go like Paul Pierce, getting to a spot, pulling up. Those are the things you normally see out of a superstar player.”

The Lakers superstar usually pays no heed to comments about him. However, Brown’s astounding claim prompted a response. He shared a story posted by his friend and business partner Maverick Carter, lauding the variety of shots he banked in a game against the Wizards where he finished with 57 points. The forward captioned the post,

“Another game of clips of me just running fast and running people over to the basket! No skill.”

As always, James heard the noise, but never directly addressed the person making it. It’s a skill he’s better at than any athlete who has faced a fraction of the scrutiny that he has been subjected to.