This category has to be a tough one to swallow for LeBron stans, with James not prevailing even among players who play or have played with him. HoopsHype polled a mix of eight players who either played with James previously or currently and found they were split between James and Jordan, surprisingly.
One of LeBron’s current teammates, Spencer Dinwiddie, voted for James due to a wide array of reasons.
“LeBron because I judge it on who I’d draft No. 1 in an all-time draft,” Dinwiddie told HoopsHype. “He’s had 20-plus years of basically going to the Conference Finals. I’d say globally, LeBron is a bigger icon, like business included. I think Jordan is a bigger hero, in a sense, just because he was so different from what we had seen. We’d already seen dominant guards and wings once LeBron came in.”
Pelicans forward Matt Ryan, who was a teammate of James during the 2022-23 season voted for him because of his all-around game and physical tools.
“LeBron, not even a question,” Ryan told HoopsHype. “His size, strength, speed, skill, and IQ. He had the ability to guard one through five in his prime. He’s arguably the best passer ever. In his prime, he was 6-foot-9, 260 pounds, and could do everything. He’s had longevity. He’s going to have every single record there is. When you look at what he’s still doing at 39 years old, it’s absolutely incredible.”
Kings guard Malik Monk, who spent one season alongside James on the Lakers during the 2021-22 season, voted for James based on his longevity.
“Nobody has dominated like LeBron,” Monk told HoopsHype. “I think he’s been playing in the league and dominating longer than Colby Jones has been born (laughing while pointing to him across the locker room).”
What about those who didn’t vote for James?
Multiple players cited growing up watching Jordan as the main reason for their vote and another player cited Jordan’s 6-0 Finals record.
