NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon chimed in on the never-ending GOAT debate between Bulls icon Michael Jordan and Lakers star LeBron James.
NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon was recently a guest on CNBC where he was asked to chime in on the never-ending GOAT debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
Olajuwon, a two-time champion and one of the best players in NBA history himself, responded by emphasizing that Jordan is “a far superior player” than James.
“When people start comparing him (LeBron) with Jordan, then that’s not a fair comparison,” Hakeem Olajuwon said, via Will Starjacki of the Basketball Network.
“Jordan was a far more superior player in a very tough league, and he was very creative. That’s not taking away anything from LeBron because he is a great player, but it is not a fair comparison because Jordan is a far superior player.”
With the Chicago Bulls in the ’90s, Michael Jordan won six NBA championships and six Finals MVPs. His Airness not only went 6-0 in the Finals, but the Bulls never had to play in a Game 7 with Jordan leading the way.
LeBron James, meanwhile, is 4-6 in the Finals after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the 2020 NBA title over the Miami Heat at Walt Disney World. The King is the only player in NBA history to win three Finals MVP awards with three different teams, but Jordan never switched teams during his prime with the Bulls.
The GOAT debate between Jordan and LeBron will likely never end. MJ fans will always defend His Airness against James fans, who believe LeBron has passed the Bulls icon.
At this point, basketball fans should just appreciate both players for their greatness since Jordan and James are both once in a generation talents.