The debate about the greatest player in basketball history has a new twist, with LeBron James saying that the Cleveland Cavaliers’ first NBA title in 2016 allowed him to think of himself as the best of all time.

“That one right there made me the greatest player of all time,” James said in Episode 7 of the eight-part ESPN+ series More Than An Athlete.

The Cavaliers fell behind three games to one against the Golden State Warriors in the Finals before rallying to win the next three games, clinching the first title for Cleveland and fulfilling a promise that James made to the city upon his return.

“The first wave of emotion was when everyone saw me crying, like, that was all for 52 years of everything in sports that’s gone on in Cleveland. And then after I stopped, I was like — that one right there made you the greatest player of all time,” James said.

The debate over basketball’s greatest player — James or Michael Jordan — has raged over many years.

Jordan, who played his college ball at UNC, was a 14-time All-Star who led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles. Meanwhile, James is also a 14-time All-Star and has won three titles between his time with the Cavaliers and Miami Heat.

Carolina basketball, who obviously became aware of this proclamation by James, was quick to point out Jordan’s case for the greatest of all time.

The GOAT debate is unlikely to go away anytime soon. James, who turned 34-years old yesterday, signed a 4-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason and is likely to be in the league for at least a few more years.

Related Stories
‹
Former NBA Commissioner David Stern dies at 77
David Stern had basketball as a passion and law as a profession, one he figured he could return to if a job at the NBA didn’t work out. He never did. Instead he went to Europe, Asia and plenty of other places around the world, bringing with him a league that was previously an afterthought […]
Chansky's Notebook: Is What It Is
ESPN.com got the hiring of Courtney Banghart all wrong. I was almost flabbergasted when reading ESPN’s coverage of Carolina’s new women’s basketball coach. All the supposition and innuendo were off base and the writer showed little knowledge of what has gone at UNC the last 10 years or so. Why hire Banghart, a 40-year-old Dartmouth […]
Tar Heels Set for Different Look, Await NBA Decisions
North Carolina thrived with a seemingly perfect balance of veteran composure and youthful upside to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. It wasn’t enough to get the Tar Heels back to the Final Four — and they could have a very different look next season depending on the NBA decisions of freshmen […]
Inside Carolina: On The Road Again
UNC is heavily favored in their upcoming road game against Boston College, and today’s edition of “Inside Carolina” talks about the match-up between the Tar Heels and the Eagles, and how this weekend will be a make-or-break momentum kind of moment for Roy Williams and the entire Carolina squad.
Inside Carolina: Down to Death Valley
Carolina is 7-0 on the road this season, and will be traveling down to Clemson for yet another away game this weekend. Today’s edition of “Inside Carolina” discusses Clemson’s prospects against a Tar Heel team that really seems to be hitting its stride, and some potential pitfalls for Carolina that can — and should — […]
Chansky's Notebook: And Did I Mention…
It was almost as if the Tar Heels knew that Duke lost. Those who could follow both the Duke-Virginia Tech and Syracuse-Carolina games saw the Blue Devils’ 77-72 loss to the Hokies end at almost the exact time the Tar Heels were tipping off against the Orange. Of course, it didn’t happen this way, but I could […]
Inside Carolina: In The Zone
As the Tar Heels prepare to face off against Syracuse, today’s edition of “Inside Carolina” discusses how a well-executed zone defense from the Orange could prove problematic for UNC, and how to potentially overcome it and keep the current hot streak going.
Chansky's Notebook: Tykes And Yikes!
The home crowd was ready, even if the Tar Heels weren’t. The Smith Center atmosphere Saturday afternoon was appropriately wild, seeing as it was the first home game since Carolina routed top-ranked Duke in the highest-rated weeknight telecast in ESPN history — despite Zion’s famous injury 34 seconds in. Unlike a bandbox where tickets were going […]
Inside Carolina: The Main Event
Duke and UNC face off tonight in the latest iteration of arguably the biggest rivalry in basketball, and today’s edition of “Inside Carolina” talks about just how intriguing the match-up between the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils is this time around.
Chansky's Notebook: Nine Common Opponents
It’s Duke-Carolina week, so let’s start with common opponents. We’ll be hearing lots of statistics and metrics this week as the Tar Heels and Blue Devils tangle in the first of two contests this Wednesday night in Durham. Nine common opponents to date is one of them, and the results are fairly surprising. Duke has […]
›