The never-ending debate on whether LeBron James or Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time continues to make headlines. This time, it was Rich Paul who shared his take on this subject.
Unsurprisingly, the founder of Klutch Sports Group claims the Los Angeles Lakers superstar is the GOAT. The King is not only his longtime friend, but also his most famous client.
However, Paul didn’t limit his answer to his relationship with James. In an appearance on the Gil’s Arena show, he pointed out that MJ didn’t have to endure comparisons with another legend like LeBron does, and also mentioned how different the media were in the 90s.
Rich Paul explains why LeBron, not MJ, is the GOAT
“Mike transcended the game. When Kobe came, Kobe was a silhouette of Mike. That’s everything, which is great. But LeBron is the first player to have to deal with a 24/7, 365 news cycle of sports and opinions from those that’s not even capable or carry the expertise to give a valid opinion,” Paul said.
“In addition to, ‘I’m not really gonna do it how y’all want me to do. I’m going to decide how I wanna do it.’ We all know that don’t go over well, right? And so then, you have this environment in this sports society that’s created and so now you have to root against. That’s something Mike never had to deal with because his hardest critic was probably, Peter Vecsey.
“I just think LeBron’s antlers is in platinum and Michael Jordan’s may be in gold. Why? Because he had to be compared to Mike. Who did Mike have to be compared to?”
How many rings has LeBron James won?
LeBron James has won four NBA championships so far.
The King won two rings with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013 before leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first ever championship in 2016. In 2020, he was crowned with the Los Angeles Lakers.
How many rings has Michael Jordan won?
Michael Jordan has won six NBA championships, all of them with the Chicago Bulls (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998).