The basketball world has seen thousands of them playing across decades in the NBA, but only a few make the mark and stay immortal in this league that’s packed with talent. And one such irony is that the Number 23. In the hoops world, it is synonymous with greatness. The best player of this generation and the previous one both wore it. “The Chosen One,” LeBron James started his career wearing #23 as a tribute to his hero, Michael Jordan. But a lot of water has flown under since then, and as it surfaces, a big revelation is made as LeBron sits on the Pat McAfee Show.

On the Pat McAfee Show, LeBron revealed that he’s not currently on speaking terms with Michael Jordan. “We don’t talk,” LeBron said when Pat asked about their relationship. The reasons behind it aren’t what fans might expect. Boom, there’s no animosity between the two. “It’s cause I’m still playing. I’m still playing. I’m still focused on my craft right now,” LeBron said. Now, he hopes that once his career is over, he and “His Airness” will form a stronger bond similar to that of what happened with Kobe. Not close once, but as Kobe retired and James moved to the Lakers, the duo got closer. Hopefully, the same will happen with MJ once his playing days are behind him. But is there more on the cards in the MJ admiration?

Wondering why LeBron said, “I am a Nike guy” almost 22 years ago? After all, he had offers from Adidas and Reebok, too. So, what made him choose Nike over the competition? Was it really just his own decision and his hero had no role in it?

On the same podcast, LeBron set the record straight about why he signed with Nike. He said, “Oh, don’t let LeBron fool you like. He wears number 23 because of Michael Jordan—That is a fact.” Next, he puts a question to himself, “He signed with Nike because of Michael Jordan,” only to answer, “I’m like no f— I didn’t! I got a hell of a signing bonus. They give you a 70 or 90 million dollar contract, and I moved my mama out of the hood. The next day I signed that contract.”

On May 22, 2003, LeBron signed a 7-year, $87 million deal with Nike. Reebok came in strong with a $115 million offer, while Adidas fell way short with less than $60 million. But as LeBron now reveals, it wasn’t about MJ. It wasn’t about legacy. It was the signing bonus that sealed the deal. Almost 22 years have passed by, and that partnership is still going strong. But things could’ve been very different had Reebok made a move.

LeBron James reveals how close he was to signing for Reebok

Keep basketball aside; the first thing that comes to mind when you talk about James is Nike. Together, they have produced 22 LeBron signature shoes throughout their partnership! But was there a scope that the James-Nike synonym could have been King with Reebok? LeBron, in a podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce, revealed that Reebok had one of the best pitches.

“The best pitch that I got, where I thought I was gonna end up, was actually Reebok at one point” LeBron admitted. The four-time NBA champion went on to reveal that Reebok put a $10 million check in front of him, guaranteed. But he turned it down. The decision was so emotional that it brought him to tears.

“I went to their meeting, sat down across from their CEO and the guys that was running basketball. At the time, Reebok had the NFL as well. They knew my love for football so they had all NFL jerseys, the Pro-Bowl-looking jerseys [on display]. The guy slides over a check to me at the end of the table, it’s me and my mom and Maverick Carter, and he says, ‘If you don’t go talk to any other companies, this is yours.”

For a high school senior, $10 million was life-changing money. LeBron and his mother were living in a small apartment, Section 8 housing in Akron. Taking that check could have changed everything overnight. But it was Mom who asked him to trust his gut. “My mom looked at me, she said, ‘Son, trust your gut. If they’re offering you this, then who knows what the other companies may offer you.” Safe to say it worked out for LeBron in the end.