LeBron James on GOAT debate: 'Not taking nobody over me'

LeBron James said he believes he is the greatest basketball player of all time, embracing the long-running debate over the NBA’s GOAT during a recent interview with Time magazine.

When asked directly who he considers the greatest player in league history, James was unequivocal.

“I’m not taking nobody over me,” he said. “There’s no question.”

James acknowledged the legacy of other NBA icons, including Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Shaquille O’Neal, among others.

“But I think Mike will say the same thing,” James said. “Rest his soul, Kobe will say the same thing. Magic will say the same thing. Bird will say the same thing. Shaq could say the same thing. The late great Wilt (Chamberlain), Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar). I don’t think none of us are going to take somebody else.”

“If there’s a general manager and he’s eyeballing all of us on a baseline, with the No. 1 pick, it’s gonna be hard not to take me, champ.”

James, 41, has just completed his record-setting 23rd NBA season and remains the league’s all-time leading scorer. He is heading into unrestricted free agency, leaving his future playing plans uncertain.

“It’s up to the mind,” James said when asked whether he will return or retire. “Where the mind goes, the body will lay. When I’m not in love with getting to the arenas on game days five hours before to start my preparation, when I’m out of love with getting to practice 2 1/2 hours beforehand, then I know I’ll be done. Because then I’m going to start cheating the game.”

This season, James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds for the Los Angeles Lakers. The four-time NBA champion, four-time MVP, and 22-time All-Star now holds the league records for both career points and games played. -Field Level Media/Reuters