The comparison between two of the greatest players of all time won’t die down any time soon.
Just days after Michael Jordan declared that he’d defeat LeBron James in a 1-on-1 game of basketball if he was in his prime, James struck back with an answer of his own when asked if he would defeat MJ in a game of 1-on-1, via USA Today’s Willie Geist:
“Oh, I take myself, for sure. I mean, I’m gonna take myself versus anybody. I’ll tell you one thing—they’re gonna have to have a few wheelchairs and a couple ambulances there to get us off the floor.”
James is widely considered to be the best player in the game today, while Jordan was considered the best player in the NBA while he played for the Chicago Bulls from 1984 until 1998. During this past season’s Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers star had said that he was the “best player in the world.”
During the 2015 NBA Finals versus the Golden State Warriors, James had perhaps the greatest Finals series performance of all time as he averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game. Despite his efforts, the Cavaliers fell to the Warriors in six games.
While the debate will rage on for years even after James has retired, one thing is for certain—the hypothetical question will never be answered.