Bronny James has named his top five NBA players ever and there are two big names missing.
The son of NBA legend LeBron James, Bronny has faced scrutiny since being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with pick No.55 after just one season playing college basketball for the USC Trojans.
LeBron and Bronny made history on Sunday night when they became the first father and son duo to play as teammates in an NBA game. The pair were on the court together in a Lakers pre-season game against the Phoenix Suns on the same day Bronny celebrated his 20th birthday.
So when Bronny was asked to rank the greatest NBA players of all time, it’s no surprise that his Dad came out on top.
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But his list is controversial as he could find no space at all for Michael Jordan when asked to name the five best players to ever grace the NBA.
Jordan is regarded by many as the GOAT across all sports. He won the NBA title six times with the Chicago Bulls and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player five times. The NBA website describes the cultural and sporting icon as ‘the greatest basketball player of all time’.
However, Bronny disagrees.
Asked by ESPN to name his own top five, Bronny said: “LeBron (James) is 1. Steph (Curry) 2. Kyrie (Irving) 3. KD (Kevin Durant) in 4. Ant (Anthony Edwards) and Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander) tied at 5.”
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The focus on the NBA’s more recent stars meant that Bronny also omitted Kobe Bryant, as well as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
It’s not the first time that Bronny has been asked where Jordan ranks against the likes of Lebron and Bryant.
Ahead of the NBA draft, HouseofHighlights' Instagram account posted a video of Bronny playing ‘Keep Trade Cut’.
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He answered: "Starting 'Bron, Imma bench Kobe, and then cut M.J.”
Bronny was subsequently drafted by the Lakers and signed the second largest contract ever for a second-round pick.
The GOAT debate will undoubtedly rage on but Bronny’s loyalty to his famous Dad is clear and his answer doesn’t seem likely to change any time soon.
Topics: NBA, Michael Jordan, Lebron James
Alex Chivers