Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson has had his hand in both Michael Jordan’s and LeBron James’ careers.
Johnson played against Jordan in the 1980s and 1990s, losing to the six-time champion in the 1991 NBA Finals.
As for James, it was Johnson who led the front office that brought the 16-time All-Star to the Lakers.
So who does Johnson believe is the greatest basketball player ever?
“First of all, let’s not take anything away from LeBron James,” Johnson said. “Because LeBron James is a great basketball player, one of the all-time greatest that has ever played the game.
“LeBron James to me, when you think about all-around basketball player, he probably is the best of all time.”
Does that make him the greatest of all time or G.O.A.T.?
“But when you want to say who’s the greatest ever, it’s still Michael Jordan,” Johnson said. “Now, LeBron James’ chapter is not closed yet. He still has some basketball to play.”
While Johnson may think James still has some catching up to do, he still had some lofty praise for the three-time NBA champion.
“So, maybe he has a chance to catch him later on if he can get some more championships under his belt,” Johnson said. “But at the end of the day, they’re both great and they played the game the right way.
“They made their teammates better, they won championships and thank God for LeBron because right now that’s what we’re watching. We’re watching LeBron James. This is his time. This is his era. And he’s dominating his era and in his time.”
Johnson brought James to Los Angeles to restore the winning culture that the franchise is so desperate to return to.
Now, it is up to James to bring another championship back to Staples Center and cement his legacy as the greatest to ever play the game.
