“My mind on this specific topic will never change – LeBron James is No 2 all-time and Michael Jordan is No 1,” Stephen A. Smith was only saying this last year. Stephen A. Smith has built his career on bold takes, but this might be his most surprising yet. After years of standing firm on Michael Jordan’s GOAT status, Smith has finally cracked.

Fast forward to today, Smith made a shocking comment. “Jordan wasn’t this good for that long. Not this period,” he said on First Take. Did he just strip the GOAT title from the greatest player he has ever watched? The answer isn’t that simple. Upon LeBron James hitting 50,000 points and coming off a Player of The Month win, Stephen A. Smith just couldn’t ignore the nature of his longevity.

“Listening to Brian Windhorst bringing up this nugget there’s nobody who has been as good for as long meaning longevity. A sustained level of pristine excellence, LeBron James is the goat in that category,” Smith explained. He still thinks at their peak, Michael Jordan is the superior basketball player.

In terms of NBA greatness, Smith believes LeBron’s 22 years of consistent excellence surpass Jordan’s tenure. “I actually think it’s time to not even have the debate anymore because that’s how great LeBron James has been for as long as he has been that great. I can stand down and acknowledge that because this is absolutely phenomenal,” Stephen A. Smith marveled.

But this has been the crux of the debate arguably since LeBron James was averaging nearly 30 points in Year 20. Even then Smith refused to give the King the GOAT crown. So what made him change his mind? “You can’t ignore that category you can’t ignore somebody that’s continuously great for 22 years, Jordan only played 15,” Smith proclaims.

In terms of ranking, he will still put His Airness ahead of James. However, the body of work and meticulous discipline LeBron James has displayed over two decades is powerful enough even to change the strongest of minds it seems.

There’s no one like LeBron James

I am not going to claim who is the GOAT or who isn’t. Each era of the NBA has its inspirational pillars who helped carry the game forward. For many, no one can win like Bill Russell, nobody can score like Michael Jordan or pass like Magic Johnson. However, there are very few players that have what LeBron James has.

We talk a lot about him lacking a killer instinct. By now that notion should be squashed. And it’s time to add another dimension to it. His craving to be the best basketball player on the planet might be stronger than any player. As long as he’s been on the NBA floor, there’s been a sense of defiance.

LeBron James doesn’t want to give his crown away.

That has amounted to him pushing himself and sticking to a dedicated routine for the past 22 years. Every time he steps on the court, he looks to be in peak physical condition. James diligently follows his recovery and still arrives hours early to the arena and is the only one on the hardwood bouncing the basketball.

It’s this potent relationship with basketball that elevates James’ character. He’s loved the sport for decades and never quits his desire to truly give the game his all, not just during a game. That’s how much he has fallen in love with the grueling demands which follow. “Continue to fall in love with the process, that’s the hardest thing every single year. The long season is 82 games, 40-41 on the road, a lot of travel,” LeBron James claims to be the reason he is still as successful after 22 years.

Such devotion has never been seen in the sport of basketball. It’s so powerful that it’s a struggle to even fathom that James is close to retiring. He is still young and ambitious like the 18-year-old that changed the landscape of basketball in 2003. It’s not only one of the greatest stories, but LeBron James is an example of what can be achieved through surreal consistency and an unrelenting love for something.