LeBron James-Michael Jordan GOAT debate was marketing stunt to shape Lakers star's career, claims podcaster
An analyst recently claimed that LeBron James being included in the GOAT (greatest of all time) discussions alongside Michael Jordan is largely due to a marketing strategy, and that modern NBA players are bypassing essential steps toward greatness.
The podcaster, "Dominique" from "Man Down Sports," went on a tirade about how players today are crafting narratives through media manipulation and marketing to boost their own status.
She pointed out that past players like Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal achieved great things, yet modern players don’t want to be compared to them. Rather, she claimed they aspire to surpass these legends without feeling the need to prove themselves first, pointing to LeBron James aiming for Jordan even before surpassing Kobe Bryant as an example.
“In the history of basketball, you've got to surpass the incumbent,” she said. “So, LeBron's job was to worry about facing off against Kobe Bryant. He’s like—the person he was supposed to be trying to get past was Kobe.”
“He wasn't able to do that, so there was a marketing campaign and a gimmick surrounding the GOAT, and we're just going to skip over this person and create an entire campaign and debate between myself and Michael Jordan, wearing the jersey number 23.”
She described this as pure marketing, allegedly executed so well that LeBron apparently bypassed Kobe in the GOAT conversation and went straight to competing with Jordan.
“That's also marketing, right? We know that this number is going to sell…And so, because of that, we have to go ahead and chip away at all of these accomplishments from the past so that that's no longer what you actually have to surpass.”
It wasn't the first time a sports personality came into the open claiming LeBron James had been wanting to surpass Michael Jordan. Former NBA player Rashad McCants also claimed that a young LeBron James wanted to outshine Jordan’s legendary #23 with his own #23.
According to McCants, this happened in 2005, and LeBron said his goal was to make the other #23 "disappear."
"A bunch of motherf***ers were at the table, and Bron just happened to say some s**t randomly: ‘I'm trying to make that other number 23 disappear,’” McCants recounted.
“The guy who told me looked up, glanced at everyone else at the table, and said, 'Good luck, young fella.' Now here we are."
LeBron is about to don the No. 23 jersey for the 16th season in 2024-25.
Dominique also claimed that the media and the league have helped promote LeBron’s narrative.
“I think it's twofold. It's the media, it's the NBA, it's the referees, it's the players—they're trying to shape a new NBA and trying to essentially get rid of all of the standards that were, you know, that you have to reach, because nobody's reached them yet.”
LeBron James has played 21 seasons, averaging 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game. His accolades include 20 All-Star appearances, a Rookie of the Year award, four MVPs, four Finals MVPs and four NBA championships.
Jordan played for 15 seasons. His career stats are equally remarkable, averaging 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.3 steals.
He was selected for 14 All-Star games and won numerous awards, including Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, five MVPs, six Finals MVPs and six NBA titles. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.
LeBron James’ longevity is undeniable
One of LeBron James' most remarkable qualities is his ability to remain dominant deep into his career.
In the 2023-24 season, he still put up elite numbers, averaging 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds, shooting 54.0% from the field, 41.0% from beyond the arc and 75.0% from the free throw line during the 2023-24 season.
LeBron James is on the brink of tying Vince Carter’s record for playing 22 seasons in the NBA. By comparison, Carter averaged 5.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.8 assists in his final year, playing 60 games.
In February 2023, LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer. By March 2024, he reached another historic milestone, becoming the first player to accumulate 40,000 career points.
This season, LeBron signed a two-year extension with the Lakers, with the option to decide on the second year.