LeBron James Explains How He Can Surpass Michael Jordan as Best NBA Player Ever

Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James provided an explanation for how he could surpass Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan in the conversation for greatest NBA player in history.

On Tuesday, Mark Anthony Green of GQ passed along James' response when he asked the Cavs forward how he could move past MJ in "most people's eyes."

"If I was the most consistent and was at the top of the food chain more than anybody in NBA history," LeBron said.

James' quest to chase down Jordan in the GOAT debate hasn't been a secret.

In August 2016, the four-time NBA MVP told Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated that the leader of the Bulls' 1990s dynasty was his focus after he helped bring the Cavs their first championship in the 2016 NBA Finals:

"My motivation is this ghost I'm chasing. The ghost played in Chicago. ...

"My career is totally different than Michael Jordan's. What I've gone through is totally different than what he went through. What he did was unbelievable, and I watched it unfold. I looked up to him so much. I think it's cool to put myself in position to be one of those great players, but if I can ever put myself in position to be the greatest player, that would be something extraordinary."

His answer in the GQ interview doesn't shed much light on what targets he's set in order to make that goal a reality, though.

James has moved by Jordan in first-team All-NBA selections (11-10), and both American stars have helped lead the United States to a pair of Olympic gold medals.

His Airness still leads the other major categories, most notably championships (6-3), Finals MVP awards (6-3), regular-season MVPs (5-4) and All-Star selections (14-13).

At 32, the Ohio native could have another handful of years to bolster his resume, but the star-studded Golden State Warriors might make it difficult to win more titles in the short term. That may influence his decision next summer when he can become an unrestricted free agent.

For now, James is trying to recover from an ankle injury in time to play in Tuesday night's 2017-18 season-opening home game against the Boston Celtics at Quicken Loans Arena.

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