LeBron James gives surprising take on Michael Jordan GOAT debate ahead of 76ers debut

In his youth, LeBron James loved Michael Jordan; ahead of his competitive Philadelphia 76ers debut on Wednesday evening, the 41-year-old confessed: “I never thought I could be Michael Jordan,” and named two NBA players as greater influences.

This evening marks perhaps the penultimate, or even final season-opening game of James’ illustrious career, playing for his fourth NBA franchise in the Philadelphia 76ers.

James has won four NBA Championships, two shy of Jordan’s six, which came through two threepeats; ahead of his competitive 76ers debut tonight, James confessed that his primary influences growing up weren’t Jordan, but two other NBA icons.

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'I never thought I could be Michael Jordan,' confesses LeBron James ahead of 76ers debut

Speaking on his Mind The Game podcast, of which he is a co-host alongside NBA legend Steve Nash, the 41-year-old discussed his primary influences growing up, and his opinion on Jordan.

“When I first started playing basketball, even though I loved Michael Jordan, I never thought I could be Michael Jordan,” admitted James.

Nash identified Isiah Thomas, a small point guard forever etched into NBA history, as a player he attempted to emulate; James then shared his influences, and the impact of Jordan’s game.

“I identified more with Penny [Hardaway]. Penny and Grant Hill helped shape my game. Those two guys helped shape my game because I watched them, and the way my coaches taught me the game in youth leagues was the same way Penny and Grant Hill played,” admitted James.

“MJ inspired me to play the sport, but Penny and Grant Hill were the ones who really helped shape my game,” he continued.

Both James and Jordan are perceived as the strongest NBA ‘GOAT’ contenders ever produced by the game. Many have suggested that the former’s move to Philadelphia is a last-ditch effort to tie the legendary Chicago Bulls star’s count of six Championships.

Jordan’s status, with time having passed since his departure from the NBA, has achieved mythological status, as evidenced by Nash’s responding comment.

“Have you ever seen a bad picture of MJ?” joked Nash, a two-time MVP winner, to which James laughed. “He just looks cool in every photograph, every clip… he inspired all of us.

“For you, Penny and Grant, who could get downhill… I can definitely see why your mind and your game resonated with them. I’m glad we still talk about them.

“Although they’re great, their careers could have been twice as big, if they didn’t get hurt,” concluded Nash. “Two of my favourite players,” responded James.

Hill endured an ankle injury in 2000 that changed the trajectory of his NBA career. He suffered life-threatening surgery complications in March 2003, and retired as a seven-time All Star in 2013.

Hardaway went under the knife on six occasions after a knee injury sustained in 1996’s NBA Playoffs, which, similarly, affected the American’s career greatly.

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What’s next for LeBron James, and how will his ‘GOAT’ claim stack up against Michael Jordan’s?

As NBA fans worldwide have since pointed out, James’ transfer from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Philadelphia 76ers is likely a last-ditch effort from the 41-year-old to win further Championships.

He even said so himself, claiming in a 76ers presser: “I didn’t leave my family to lose in the second round [of the NBA Playoffs].”

With the 76ers, James possesses a team that, at its best, can be considered the NBA’s strongest attack; however, his team-mate, former MVP winner Joel Embiid, is renowned for his injury-prone nature.

Should James’ franchise, the fourth and likely final of his NBA career, avoid injury woes during a Playoffs run, it is possible that the ‘GOAT’ contender could win his fifth Championship ring.

Whatever the outcome, James, who made NBA history days after his 76ers transfer, will forever be considered basketball’s ‘GOAT’ by millions worldwide.

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