LeBron James weighs in on whether he's better than Michael Jordan: 'Our games are totally different'

The NBA GOAT debate generally comes down to two players: Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan and Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James. While some point to Jordan’s excellence in the Finals and will to win, others champion James for his longevity and ability to singlehandedly carry a team in the playoffs.

But James isn’t willing to engage in that debate. When asked about how he compares to Jordan — a player James admired growing up — James said there is no comparison, per ESPN.

"I never have compared myself to MJ because our games are totally different," James said. "I have been a point-forward/forward-point my whole life. I have always looked for the pass. MJ kind of looked for the shot. Not kind of, he did. He looked for the shot.

James said there are areas of the game where Jordan was the better player and areas of the game where James is better. He ultimately concluded that he and Jordan are “both great,” per ESPN. “We're both great basketball players."

James also broke down some of the aspects he admired in Jordan’s game, calling out the Bulls legend’s midrange shot, post game, ability to always get to his spot and his competitive spirit. James added that he was inspired by Jordan growing up, which shouldn’t come as a surprise considering James wore No. 23 — the same number of Jordan — when he first entered the NBA.

While James didn’t take the bait on the GOAT debate, he did take a moment to address some of the arguments his critics make when they try and downplay his accomplishments, per ESPN.

"When I was younger, I used to have the notion of like, people were getting on me for losing in the Finals, and when I was younger, I used to listen to it," James said. "Like, people will really rather you not make the playoffs or lose in the first round than to lose in the Finals, which is crazy to me. And I almost feel like, is it because it's me? Everybody has to say something about my career: 'Oh, well, he made eight straight Finals, but he was only able to win three.' 'He's the leading scorer in NBA history, but he's played 23 years.'

Yeah, but I am also fastest to 1,000 [points]. Fastest to 2,000. Fastest to 5,000. Fastest to 10,000. So when I started realizing it was just a knock on me, I started to appreciate it a little bit more. Like, I am pissed off that I didn't have a better winning percentage individually in the Finals, but for people to try to turn it into a negative, it doesn't bother me like it did when I was younger."