"I hope I made him proud" - LeBron James sends a heartfelt message to Michael Jordan after 23 seasons of living in his shoes
The debate over who basketball's "Greatest of All Time (GOAT)" will undoubtedly rage on for a very long time. Even with the great Michael Jordan shunning the title, explaining that nobody can claim it since nobody got to be as great as they are without being inspired by another superstar from another era, comparisons between MJ and the player he's often ranged against, LeBron James , persist.
LeBron, though, recently offered his take on the matter, saying that regardless of what anyone says about him, he hopes that he has made MJ proud with the career that he's had while wearing the same jersey number as him.
MJ and LeBron had different games but the same impact
With their tremendous NBA achievements, including numerous championships and MVP trophies, it was inevitable that LeBron and MJ would be pitted against one another in the GOAT debate. Never mind the fact that the King is three inches taller and spent most of his career operating as a small forward. Not to mention the fact that even though LeBron is the all-time leader in points, his best attribute is passing the rock.
"I never have compared myself to MJ because our games are totally different. I have been a point-forward/forward-point my whole life. I have always looked for the pass. MJ kind of looked for the shot. Not kind of, he did. He looked for the shot," LeBron told ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
While LeBron has been depended on by nearly every team he has suited up for to take the bulk of the shots and has more than delivered in that regard, he has always been more effective when he's setting up his teammates, utilizing his gravity to draw in multiple defenders before zipping the rock to a wide-open teammate for an easy bucket.
LeBron also didn't hesitate to admit that there are many things Mike did better than he did. In the same breath, he also noted how there are things that he can do better than MJ.
"That's just how the game goes," the King stated. "There are a lot of things where I would say my game is a lot different and a little better than his, but s—t, he was f—ing great. We're both great. We're both great basketball players."
LeBron admits Jordan inspired him
Growing up in the 1990s meant that LeBron had a front-row seat to MJ's greatness during his time with the Chicago Bulls , when he won six titles in eight seasons. Although he said he never sought to become like Mike, he dreamed of achieving the same things that he did, albeit on his own terms and along a different path.
"I never thought that I could be him, but I dreamed of the opportunity to live in the shoes that he lived in. I dreamed of being able to be in a big game and hit a game winner as the clock went down," LeBron explained.
"I dreamed of having my own sneaker. I dreamed of flying through the air like him. I dreamed of people screaming my name. Everything that he did. I needed inspiration from certain people in music and in sports during my upbringing. I needed that."
With the end of his illustrious career in sight, LeBron hopes Mike would be proud of the job that he did, trying to live up to the legacy of jersey no. 23.
"I hope I made him proud at least, wearing that No. 23," LeBron stressed.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
