Both LeBron James and Michael Jordan are arguably the two best players to play in the NBA. In his career so far, LeBron has won 4 titles with 3 teams and is 3rd among the all-time scoring leaders of the league. Additionally, LeBron has been credited for his age-defying performances. In a recent matchup against the Warriors, LeBron, now 37 years of age, scored 56 points in an emphatic win.

Jordan, on the other hand, is an icon for many all over the world, including some of the most famous NBA stars such as Kobe Bryant. ‘His Airness’ won 6 titles with the Chicago Bulls and has given fans plenty of exciting moments such as the ‘Flu Game’ and the winning shot of the 1998 NBA finals. He was truly a force to be reckoned with. If you wanted to win an NBA title in the ’90s, you’d have to get past MJ first.

The greatness of both players has led to a debate on who among the two is the Greatest of All-Time (GOAT). While many have stated their case for both players, Spurs’ head coach, Gregg Popovich, put this debate to bed when he appreciated both stars. His statements indicated the futility of the debate.

Gregg Popovich on LeBron James and Michael Jordan

Back in 2018, the legendary head coach made a statement that showed the greatness of both MJ and LeBron. In essence, the statement gave an insight into coach Popovich’s perspective and showed the greatness of both stars.

“It’s good to be here to be able to watch LeBron. I just have to make sure that I don’t just stare at him all night like I did when I first came in the league and played the Bulls,” he said.

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“I’d just watch Michael the whole time, and Larry Brown would elbow me like, ‘You going to do something?’ I said, ‘Coach, I’ve got to watch. I’ve got to see this guy.’ You get like that with LeBron, too, because he does so many things,” he added.

Clearly, the statements from Popovich show the futility of the GOAT debate. Greatness doesn’t come around often. But when it does, it must be cherished.

LeBron and MJ Off the Court

LeBron’s off-court achievements are quite well known. Apart from being involved in various business dealings, the ‘King’ gives back to the community, especially to kids. Take the ‘I Promise’ school, for example. The public school launched by LeBron aims at specifically helping underprivileged kids. This gives them an opportunity to succeed, regardless of their origin.

MJ too has had a major impact outside of basketball. Although his ‘Air Jordan’ brand stands tall even today, he too has given back to the community. These include various kinds of donations to different organizations, and fundraisers to give back to the community by hosting a golf tournament.

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Clearly, both stars recognize their standing in the world of sports and outside of it. Their stardom gives them several opportunities to give back to the people who have supported them. They truly are heroes regardless of the outcome of the GOAT debate.