LeBron James admires Michael Jordan—so much so that he believes their games would have complemented each other perfectly.
James also reflected on Jordan’s immense impact on his career during an episode of his Mind the Game podcast with Hall of Famer Steve Nash.
“When you talk about inspiration, there was nobody more inspiring to me than Michael Jordan,” the four-time NBA champion said.
Nobody was a bigger inspiration to @KingJames than MJ.
— Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) July 14, 2025
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For years, the "King" and "His Airness" have been at the center of the "Greatest of All Time" (G.O.A.T.) debate. While some fans regard LeBron as the best to ever play, others continue to place Jordan at the top.
In addition, James also believed their skill sets would have been a perfect match if they had ever played together.
"You know, for me, I think our games would have complemented as well. MJ was a flat-out scorer. He was a scorer, scorer, scorer. He had a scorer's mentality," the 40-year-old spoke.
The idea of perhaps the two greatest players of their generations playing together remains a tantalizing "what if" scenario for fans.
If these two legends had shared a team during their primes, could they have dominated the league even more than they did individually? Could LeBron’s playmaking and Jordan’s scoring have formed an unstoppable offensive force?
While fans may never know, the mere possibility continues to capture the imagination.
Furthermore, James also cited legends like Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, and Scottie Pippen as key influences on his approach to the game, noting how their versatility and ability to excel in the point-forward role played a significant part in shaping his own development as a player.
