LeBron James breaks down his first encounter with the GOAT.
Speaking on ‘Uninterrupted,’ Lakers star LeBron James finally broke his silence on the first time meeting Michael Jordan. In reflection of the moment, James revealed that he was awe-struck by the Bulls legend and likened him to “black Jesus” due to his supernatural talent and god-like legacy as one o the all-time greats.
“When I met Michael Jordan for the first time, I literally couldn’t believe it was him… The dude looked like Jesus Christ to me, he was Black Jesus to me and nobody could tell me any different… we walk up there and the first person we see is Charles Oakley. When he moved, Mike is sitting on the bench press and I was like ‘oh my f*cking god!’ I didn’t think he was real, man. I only thought he lived in the tv.”
Many fans and athletes share a similar experience when meeting Jordan for the first time. As one of the NBA’s greatest players and one of the world’s most renowned athletes, Michael Jordan’s name is almost like a myth in the world of sports, and his superstar aura can have even the bravest stars feeling a certain type of way.
Undefeated In Practice
Jordan’s prime was already over by the time LeBron came onto the scene, so the two rarely got to spend time together on the court. The one time they did, however, it was pure dominance. The year was 2003, and LeBron James was in his rookie season. Jordan, who was fresh off retirement, was 40 years old. At Jordan’s Santa Barbara camp that summer, an 18-year-old LeBron was in attendance along with several other young star prospects. After the main events were done, MJ invited LeBron and the college players to a run with some NBA legends.
LeBron and Jordan were on the same team for the game, and James later admitted that the two didn’t lose a single game together. Sadly, there is no footage to witness the game for ourselves but it must have been an amazing sight to see two of the greatest players ever share the court together. For a young LeBron James at the time, it was no doubt a dream come true for him and it may have helped spark a lot of confidence for him early on his career.
LeBron Chasing The GOAT
20+ years after that encounter with first encounter Jordan, LeBron is now often compared to him as one of basketball’s all-time greatest legends. Almost from the beginning, James made it clear that he was chasing greatness and he’s got nothing left to prove after a massively successful stint in the league. Today, as a 19x All-Star, 19x All-NBA player, 4x champion, and 4x MVP, LeBron is easily one of the best we’ve ever seen, and his status as the GOAT is only rivaled by Michael Jordan himself.
It remains to be seen if LeBron will ever catch up to Jordan in terms of championships and all-around accolades, but today’s players and fans look at him the same way he looked at Jordan back in the day. In fact, as LeBron continues to defy Father Time and put forth excellent performances, his claim as the best player ever only gets stronger.
