Austin Rivers: 'I'm Not Enjoying' LeBron James' Greatness Playing Against Him

Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers said Wednesday it's tough to fully appreciate greatness like Michael Jordan or LeBron James during the midst of their playing careers.

Rivers discussed The Last Dance documentary about the 1990s Chicago Bulls dynasty with ESPN's Richard Jefferson on Instagram Live and explained it taught him a lot about Jordan that could also be attributed to James.

"You don't enjoy it during your time. Like, I'm not enjoying LeBron's greatness right now," Rivers said. "I mean, I have no fun playing against him. So you don't get to enjoy it until you look back."

Here's a look at the full interview (Jordan, James discussion starts around 5:40 mark):

James reached the NBA Finals nine times in his first 16 seasons. His Los Angeles Lakers were among the chief championship contenders again during the 2019-20 season before play was halted March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 35-year-old three-time NBA champion has been the most prominent voice pushing to ensure the league eventually finishes the campaign:

His resume, which also features four MVP awards, 16 All-Star selections, a scoring title and numerous other individual accolades, has pushed him into the conversation with Jordan and others as the greatest basketball player in history.

Rivers' comments make it clear his rivals aren't exactly enjoying his nearly two-decade run as the league's gold standard, though they'll probably come to appreciate it in the future.