Michael Jordan didn't hesitate when naming the only four NBA players who could play in his era

Michael Jordan didn't hesitate when naming the only four NBA players he believes could have played in his era of basketball.

Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest NBA player to ever live, winning six NBA Championships during his iconic two stints with the Chicago Bulls.

He initially retired at the age of 29 in 1993 and pursued a career in Major League Baseball (MLB), but returned to the NBA and the Bulls midway through the 1994/95 season. He famously announced his comeback with a two-word press release that read: "I'm back."

'MJ' retired for a second time in 1998, before being coaxed back into NBA by the Washington Wizards in 2001. He didn't win another NBA Championship but was named as an NBA All-Star in 2002 and 2003 before hanging up the boots for a third and final time.

Jordan mixed it with some of the greatest basketball players to ever live across 19 years in the NBA, and his career overlapped with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and Dennis Rodman.

His view of modern NBA stars isn't quite as fond as those he played with, though, once describing them as 'soft' and 'ill-prepared' for the sport's highest levels.

Jordan picks out legendary NBA quartet

ESPN writer Wright Thompson revealed in 2013 that Jordan did name four players who he believed could have played in his era of basketball - though only one is still an active player.

He named Bryant, LeBron James, Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki as the four players, with all four arguably enjoying their best years in the 2000s or 2010s.

Duncan (1997 debut) and Nowitzki (1998 debut) both came up against Jordan in their careers, with Nowitzki's 21 years in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks making him the longest-serving player for a single franchise in NBA history.

The West Germany-born star, who stood at 7 feet tall, played as a power forward, along with Duncan, who spent 19 years with the San Antonio Spurs between 1997 and 2016.

Kobe Bryant and LeBron James pictured during the 2023 NBA All-Star Game (Image: Getty)

Bryant, meanwhile, spent his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers playing as a shooting guard before retiring. He was killed in a plane crash, along with daughter Gianna, in January 2020.

James is the only one of the quartet still involved in the NBA today, with the 41-year-old - who has been named as an NBA All-Star each year since 2005 - having plied his trade for the Lakers since 2018. He was the first round pick in the 2003 draft.