Giannis Chooses Lakers' LeBron James Over Michael Jordan in NBA's GOAT Debate

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo offered his opinion in the long-running debate about where LeBron James sits among the all-time NBA greats.

"Some guys might say he is No. 2, but other guys like me, I say he is No. 1, and he's still going," Antetokounmpo said to The Athletic's Joe Vardon.

Vardon noted that Michael Jordan is typically "the favorite in that barbershop argument," but James has been steadily gaining ground over the years. The 2015-16 season is when the tenor of the discourse shifted.

James ended the city of Cleveland's lengthy championship drought, achieving the goal he had set out when the Cleveland Cavaliers first selected him in the 2003 draft. And he did so while averaging 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists and overcoming a 3-1 series deficit against the 73-win Golden State Warriors.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported Jordan gave the green light for The Last Dance on the heels of the Cavs' title, the timing of which probably isn't a total coincidence even though the project had been in the works for long before that.

It's as though Jordan sensed LeBron was beginning to genuinely challenge his supremacy and wanted to set the record straight by reminding everybody of what he did with the Chicago Bulls.

Granted, James responded in kind by winning his fourth title and four Finals MVP with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, and then he became the NBA's all-time leading scorer in February.

Antetokounmpo is in the minority with his opinion, but more and more people have come around to the idea. The trend is bound to increase, too, as you get fewer and fewer NBA fans who actually got to see Jordan play.

Maybe it's time for MJ to release a director's cut of The Last Dance.