Former LeBron James teammate says he's a product of Michael Jordan, the 'true GOAT'

For decades, the debate about the greatest player of all time has been a subject of discussion on social media, TV shows, sports broadcasts, journalists, and even barbeques. From Bill Russellto Wil Chamberlain. From Larry Bird to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. From Kobe Bryant to Tim Duncan; it seems like there’s always some kind of back-and-forth. Nonetheless, no GOAT debate gets NBAfans more involved and heated than when they talk about LeBron James and Michael Jordan. That’s a whole different level.

Most old-school fans are completely certain of Jordan’s GOAT status – unless you’re Isiah Thomas, but that’s a different story – while younger hoopers tend to lean towards LeBron James and what he’s done recently.

That’s why it’s kind of surprising to see that even Ray Allen – who shared the court with LeBron – believes that Jordan is on a superior tier, as he recently said in an interview with Macklin Stern ofCBS Sports.

Ray Allen Says Michael Jordan Is The GOAT And LeBron James Is A Product Of Him

“In my opinion, M.J. is the GOAT. LeBron is a product of M.J., so a lot of what’s in LeBron — in his DNA — comes from Michael. For anybody that says that LeBron is the GOAT, they’re growing up in today’s era, and they believe what they believe based on how it feels and what he means to them, and that’s OK. But the way M.J. affected the game, man, he had a stranglehold on the league and he struck fear in everyone because he was an unstoppable player,” Allen said.

Well, Ray should know a thing or two about what he’s talking about. He did help LeBron win a ring with the Miami Heat and some even claim that his miracle three-pointer vs. the San Antonio Spurs salvaged The King’s legacy.

At the end of the day, both have put together incredible résumés, share countless records, and have impacted the game in ways no other player had done, so perhaps there’s no point in debating who the GOAT is.