Dwyane Wade Settles NBA GOAT Debate With Answer Nobody Has Ever Given Before

Former NBA star Dwyane Wade gave an intriguing response when asked to weight in on the debate over the greatest basketball player of all time.

The 'GOAT' debate is one of the most hotly contested topics in basketball, with Michael Jordan and LeBron James two of the names most commonly mentioned.

Jordan played a starring role for the Chicago Bulls throughout the 1990s, helping the team to an unprecedented two three-peats.

He was central to the team's success, winning five regular season MVPs and setting a range of scoring records along the way.

James recently made his first appearance of the season for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Utah Jazz, becoming the first player in NBA history to play in 23 seasons.

The 40-year-old has already won four championships and is a four-time MVP.

LeBron James made his first appearance of the season against the Utah Jazz (Image: Getty)

His longevity has led many fans to regard him as one of the greatest players ever, with some suggesting he may have surpassed Jordan.

Now, three-time NBA champion Wade has weighed in on the 'GOAT' debate.

Speaking on The Timeout podcast, Wade said: “There’s no secret about it at all: Michael Jordan is my basketball GOAT, for all the reasons that he should be.

"But I do have a new answer for the way I’m going to start answering the question when people ask me.

"I’m going to say Michael Jordan is the greatest player I’ve ever watched.

"He is the greatest player I’ve ever watched. LeBron James is the greatest player I’ve ever seen."

Michael Jordan (Image: Getty)

Wade continued: "It clicked one night, I've never seen Jordan, I watched Jordan.

"I saw and I’ve seen LeBron James up close. … I played against and I played with him.

"I have personally never seen a greater basketball player, but I’ve watched a great basketball player. And so to me, it’s just a difference."

Wade played in the NBA between 2003 and 2019, during which time he teamed up with James at the Miami Heat and briefly at the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Over four years in Miami, they reached the NBA Finals four times and won two championships.

Despite their immense success together, Wade sided with Jordan in the debate, while acknowledging that it will continue to be one of the most fiercely contested.

“The GOAT debate will forever be a debate. It’s not going anywhere," he added.

"But when I’m asked a question, as someone who’s played with this man, who’s spent time with this man and played against this man.

"I’ve watched Jordan’s greatness. I still watch it. I’ll go on YouTube right now, but I’ve never seen Jordan’s greatness up close. I’ve actually seen LeBron’s.”