“Michael Jordan didn’t say that about himself” – Stephen A. Smith spews vitriol at LeBron James’ camp & Rich Paul over GOAT claims

This week, Michael Jordan’s former agent, David Falk, weighed in on the NBA’s GOAT debate, putting his former client ahead of LeBron James. While Falk has James on his list of the 10 greatest players of all time, the fact that the future Hall of Famer changed teams several times leaves a bad taste in his mouth compared to players like Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

On Friday morning’s episode of First Take, longtime ESPN host Stephen A. Smith was quick to weigh in. Smith, who has been an ardent defender of Jordan in the NBA’s GOAT debate, said that the negativity surrounding the GOAT debate comes from one place, and one place only: James’ camp.

As he went on to add, James and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul make the GOAT debate ugly by saying that James is the greatest of all time, like he did on an episode of “More Than An Athlete” in 2018 while discussing his 2017 win over the Warriors.

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"Michael Jordan didn't say that about himself," Smith said. "Kobe Bryant didn't say that about himself. Kareem Abdul Jabbar didn't say that about himself. Bill Russell didn't say that about himself. Tim Duncan didn't say that about himself. Nobody said that. Nobody but him (James) and his camp."

When LeBron James declared himself the greatest of all time

In 2017, after LeBron James returned to Cleveland following a stint with the Miami Heat that saw him win two championships, he led the Cavaliers on a historic 3-1 comeback against the 73-9 Golden State Warriors.

The win not only ended Cleveland's championship drought, but also, in James' mind, cemented him as the greatest player to ever step on the hardwood.

During an episode of "More Than A Game" in 2018, James reflected on winning a title with the Cavs.

"After I stopped, I was like ‘That one right there made you the greatest player of all time,’" James said. "Everybody was talking about how they were the greatest team of all time. Like, they were the greatest team ever assembled, and for us to come back, the way we came back in that fashion, I was like ‘You did something special.’"

At the time, the clip created tons of buzz as fans debated whether or not James was, in fact, the greatest of all time.

On the other hand, as Stephen A. Smith pointed out, when asked about the GOAT debate during his career, Michael Jordan pushed back, saying that he can't call himself the greatest ever because he didn't play against all the NBA greats who played before him.

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About the author

Evan Bell

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

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