Giannis Antetokounmpo has reignited the NBA’s most persistent debate by making a blunt declaration about LeBron James’ place in basketball history. In a conversation with The Athletic, the Milwaukee Bucks star said, “Some guys might say he’s number two, but other guys like me, I say he’s number one and he’s still going. ”
The statement immediately refocused attention on the long-running comparison between LeBron James and Michael Jordan. Jordan finished his career with six NBA championships, while James has won four.
That gap in rings has traditionally anchored arguments for Jordan, but Giannis’ endorsement shifts the conversation toward longevity and sustained dominance rather than title totals alone. Sports commentator Shannon Sharpe weighed in on the debate, arguing that championship counts are an incomplete measure of greatness. He noted that if rings were the only criterion, Bill Russell’s 11 titles would place him above everyone, yet Russell is rarely included in the greatest-of-all-time discussion. Sharpe added that James has “played better longer than any other player in the history” of the game.
Sharpe also pointed to the quality of the teams James faced in the NBA Finals, particularly the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors, which he said had no equivalent among the opponents Jordan encountered during his championship runs. That comparison sparked a heated exchange on the show, with another panelist invoking Jordan’s documentary, The Last Dance, before the discussion continued. The case for James extends well beyond his Finals appearances. His supporters argue that he is inarguably the best teenage player in league history, the best player in his early twenties, and the best player aged 35 and older.
During the 2012-13 season with Miami, James averaged 26. 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 7. 3 assists while shooting 56. 5 percent from the field, leading the Heat to 66 wins and a 27-game winning streak.
He also came within one vote of becoming the first unanimous MVP in league history. His 2018 playoff run has also become a central part of the argument. At age 33, James averaged roughly 34 points and nine assists while carrying Cleveland to the NBA Finals against the Warriors. That performance is frequently cited as evidence that James was not simply aging gracefully but continuing to dominate at an elite level.
The discussion, however, does not end with Jordan and James. According to the panel, the biggest beneficiary of a re-evaluation of the greatest-ever debate could be Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kareem’s résumé includes six championships, six MVP awards, the NBA’s all-time scoring record for decades, and a career that saw him enter the league as its best player as a rookie. He is also described as the greatest high school and college player ever, yet his name is often pushed behind Jordan and James in public debates.
The panel suggested that Jordan became the archetype for greatness, the standard against which every player was measured. That dynamic, they argued, inflated the standing of Kobe Bryant in many all-time rankings because Bryant played most like Jordan. But being the player most similar to Jordan, they contended, does not automatically make someone greater than Kareem or LeBron. As James’ career continues to defy expectations, his case now rests on a combination of peak performance, longevity, athleticism, and versatility that his supporters say has never been matched.
Jordan can still claim the greatest championship résumé, and Kareem can still be credited with one of the most complete careers ever. But the evolving argument suggests LeBron may have the strongest claim to sustained excellence over a longer period than anyone else the league has seen. The debate, according to those involved, is not dying. It is changing.
And as more attention moves beyond ring totals, Kareem’s overlooked case becomes harder to dismiss. The question that remains is whether history, when it looks back in twenty years, will still place Jordan at the top.
