By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
In a comprehensive profile published by Time, LeBron James addressed the enduring greatest-of-all-time debate by confidently putting himself at the top of the list. “I’m not taking nobody over me,” said the four-time NBA champion. “There’s no question.”
The 41-year-old combo forward of the Los Angeles Lakers acknowledged that other legendary figures would share that same ultimate self-confidence. “Mike will say the same thing. Rest his soul, Kobe will say the same thing. Magic will say the same thing. Bird will say the same thing. Shaq could say the same thing. The late great Wilt. Kareem. I don’t think none of us are going to take somebody else,” he noted.
“If there’s a general manager and he’s eyeballing all of us on a baseline, with the No. 1 pick, it’s gonna be hard not to take me, champ,” James asserted.
As he approaches unrestricted free agency, the Akron native made it clear that his ultimate retirement timeline rests entirely on his mental drive.
“It’s up to the mind,” James explained regarding a potential 24th season. “Where the mind goes, the body will lay. When I’m not in love with getting to the arenas on game days five hours before to start my preparation, if I’m out of love with getting to practice 2½ hours beforehand, then I know I’ll be done. Because then I’m going to start cheating the game.”
Looking ahead to the 2026–27 Regular Season, the Lakers find themselves at a complex operational crossroads, having transitioned their primary franchise focal point to Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic while navigating the final chapters of James’ historic career.
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