The conversation about the NBA’s greatest of all time usually boils down to two players: Michael Jordan and LeBron James. The arguments vary depending on the lens of the debate, and the answer often shifts with the criteria used. But recently, one former Chicago Bulls teammate decided to weigh in once again.
Dennis Rodman has always been one of the NBA’s most unpredictable voices, and he proved that again during a live stream with popular creator NEON. Asked about the never-ending GOAT debate, Rodman doubled down on his belief that Michael Jordan is the greatest ever — and he did so with one of his trademark eccentric analogies.
“Michael Jordan was too sexy, man, when he had the ball or something like that,” Rodman said. “I mean, LeBron is like a go****n dump truck. Michael Jordan sits there dancing like barista coffee. What? And he just keeps going, making it all look so easy.”
The point was clear enough, even if the metaphor wasn’t. Jordan’s game was smooth, graceful, and artistic. He glided through defenders, pulled off moves that seemed effortless, and scored with an elegance that made “Air Jordan” one of the most fitting nicknames in sports.
LeBron James, by contrast, has always relied more on raw power. At 6-foot-9 and 260 pounds, he is a physical anomaly — a freight train in transition who bulldozes his way to the rim and finishes through contact. For more than two decades, defenders have known what was coming, yet stopping him has remained close to impossible.
Rodman’s comparison may sound harsh, but it does not dismiss LeBron’s greatness. The same “truck” has averaged at least 25 points in 20 consecutive seasons, is preparing for his 23rd year in the league, and holds the title of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with more than 40,000 points — a total that surpasses 50,000 when including the playoffs.
Jordan, on the other hand, may be the most graceful player in basketball history. His footwork, mid-range mastery, and acrobatic finishing gave the sport a kind of artistry rarely seen before or since. Every movement felt fluid, precise, and impossible to replicate.
LeBron, meanwhile, overwhelms with a different formula: size, speed, and brute force packaged together in a way basketball had never witnessed in a wing player. He may not have Jordan’s elegance, but his dominance is undeniable. In the end, Rodman’s wild metaphors simply highlight the contrast between two legends who have defined different eras of the NBA.