Report: LeBron James declared he was ‘trying to make that other No. 23 disappear’ early in his NBA career

Porter Binks-USA TODAY

Rashad McCants played for two teams — the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings — across his four seasons in the NBA, and according to someone he spoke to, LeBron James seemingly implied early on in his pro career that he was hoping to overshadow Michael Jordan as an NBA player.

“This comes from a high-table source, (who) told me they had a conversation after the 2005 season,” McCants said. “Playin’ bourre with Bron — a bunch of motherf—— on the table — and Bron just happened to say some s— randomly. ‘Man, I’m trying to make that other No. 23 disappear.’ The guy who told me looked up, looked at everybody else at the table, said, ‘Good luck, young fella.'”

It didn’t take James very long to establish himself as one of the best players in the league, and if the comments in question came after the 2004-05 season, he was already on his way to becoming a generational player at that point in time.

After all, he averaged 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game during the 2004-05 campaign — his second season in the NBA — and then went on to finish second in the league’s MVP voting behind only Steve Nash in his third year in the pros after averaging 31.4 points per game.

Since James allegedly made his bold declaration all those years ago, he has steadily put together one of the most impressive resumes in the history of the sport.

The 39-year-old — who will turn 40 in December — has 20 All-Star appearances, 20 All-NBA nods, four league MVP awards, four NBA titles and four NBA Finals MVP awards to his name, and his professional basketball career is still going strong.

But it’s up for debate whether James has succeeded in his supposed goal of making Jordan “disappear.” Jordan is still believed by many to be the best player that the sport of basketball has ever seen, and the former Chicago Bulls star still has James beat in numerous categories, including NBA titles and scoring titles.

Jordan won six NBA titles — all as a member of the Bulls — during his time in the league, while James is still eyeing his fifth. He hasn’t won a title since the year 2020, when he and the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

James will try to lead the Lakers deeper into the playoffs this coming season after the team lost to the Denver Nuggets in the opening round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.