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Published 11:08 IST, August 6th 2020

LeBron James NBA's GOAT, not Michael Jordan: Allen Iverson makes controversial claim

During a recent Instagram live session, NBA Hall of Famer Allen Iverson picked Lakers' LeBron James over Bulls legend Michael Jordan as "the one."

Reported by: Sujay Chakraborty
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NBA Hall of Famer Allen Iverson is the latest to weigh in on the debate for the league's greatest of all time. The Philadelphia 76ers legend recently appeared on an Instagram live session with rapper Fat Joe where he gave his take on the battle for supremacy between LeBron James and Michael Jordan.

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Allen Iverson picks LeBron James as "the one"

Allen Iverson admitted he is a big fan of Michael Jordan and his exploits with the Chicago Bulls. However, the 45-year-old said that as much as he loves Jordan, he still views Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James as "the one." While Iverson did not pick LeBron as the G.O.A.T. per se, him picking LeBron as "the one" over Michael Jordan goes a long way in helping the Lakers star be in conversation alongside one of the best players in NBA history.

"As much as I love Michael Jordan, like, dawg, man, LeBron James is the one, dawg. He the one, man. That mother f****er is the one, man," Allen Iverson told Fat Joe during the Instagram session.

Iverson might just be in the perfect place to settle the longstanding debate. Having played in the NBA between 1996 and 2010, Iverson has come across both Michael Jordan and LeBron James several times in his career. He faced Jordan 13 times between 1997 and 2003 and scored 6 wins over the Bulls legend. 'The Answer' faced LeBron 18 times in his career and has a sound 10-8 record over the former Cavaliers man. 

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It is also important to note that Iverson is not the first to draw parallels between LeBron James and Michael Jordan. Lakers legend Magic Johnson said earlier this year that LeBron could be considered the best player of all time over Jordan if he could add more championships to his trophy cabinet.

The disparity in NBA championships has long been used to justify Michael Jordan being picked as the greatest player in NBA history. The Bulls icon won a whopping six NBA championships in Chicago, transforming a decent Bulls side into world-beaters. Meanwhile, LeBron James has so far won three NBA titles - two with Miami Heat and one with the Cleveland Cavaliers. At 35, LeBron might just be running out of time to catch up with Jordan's tally. 

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(Image Credits: NBA.com)

Updated 11:08 IST, August 6th 2020

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