It seems every NBA fan has a nuanced opinion about which player is the league’s GOAT (Greatest of All Time).
LeBron James or Michael Jordan? Or is it Kobe Bryant or Kevin Durant? Maybe Bill Russell or Wilt Chamberlain? Magic Johnson or Larry Bird?
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The debate rages as present-day players like Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic are added into the conversation.
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But one of the most prominent names in the GOAT discussion says he doesn’t pay it any attention. Appearing in an installment of NBA on NBC’s “MJ: Insights to Excellence” series Sunday night, Jordan said the debate “just doesn’t exist for me.”
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Michael Jordan on the GOAT debate:
“The GOAT term is something I’ll never get high or low about. It just doesn’t exist for me.. We paved the way for Kobe and LeBron. The beauty of he game of basketball is a player after previous players have evolved the game further. But don’t… pic.twitter.com/7OCBGVOW8d
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 8, 2026
“I never played against Oscar Robertson or Jerry West,” Jordan told host Mike Tirico. “Would’ve loved to, absolutely loved to, just the competitor as I am. I actually learned from them. And we paved the way for the Kobes and LeBrons. To me, it’s the beauty of the game of basketball that a player after a previous player has evolved the game further. But don’t then … use that against the player that actually taught you the game or you learned from.
“Look, I would have loved to played against LeBron, Kobe in my prime. … We’ll never be able to know that.”
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Jordan, who won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, stands fifth on the all-time NBA scoring list with 32,292 points. James, a four-time champion with three different teams, leads the way with 43,127 points and counting.
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Michael Jordan | Mike Powell/Getty Images
Jordan’s comments are measured compared to his 2009 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction speech. Many described it as a bitter attempt by Jordan to settle old scores and make sure everyone respects his standing among the league’s greatest players.
He seemed to address those feelings during his interview with Tirico.
“I have no animosity toward today’s players, but you do have certain players that do have animosity because of the forgotten-ness of what their contribution has been to the game of basketball,” Jordan said.
Jordan concluded the interview by praising James. He just refused to compare his career with James’.
“I think LeBron has had an unbelievable career, and I admire him for what he has done,” Jordan said. “Kobe as well as KD, and all these guys who have played in this era, I think they have elevated the game of basketball immensely. I just don’t agree when you try to put one above the other. It doesn’t work.”
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