LeBron James discusses relationship with Michael Jordan: ‘We don’t talk’

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LeBron James: ‘I’m still playing, I’m still focused on my craft right now.’ Photograph: Adam Pantozzi/NBAE/Getty Images

LeBron James has opened up about his relationship with Michael Jordan, the man who he often finds his NBA career measured against.

The question of which of the players is the greatest has become such a staple of sports talkshows that it is almost a cliche. In an interview with the the Pat McAfee Show broadcast on Wednesday, James said he has little interaction with Jordan.

“We don’t talk,” James said. “Because I’m still playing. I’m still playing, I’m still focused on my craft right now.”

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James said much of the distance is due to the pair’s competitiveness. James has four NBA titles and is a four-time Most Valuable Player. Jordan was a six-time champion and a five-time MVP.

“I think it’s because I’m still playing,” James said. “And MJ, we all know MJ. Even if you don’t know him personally, he is one of the most ruthless competitors there is and until I’m done and he doesn’t have to look at me running up and down wearing the No 23 and every time my name is mentioned, it’s mentioned with his.”

The 40-year-old said he has “hope” he will become closer to Jordan when he retires, saying something similar happened with Kobe Bryant. James said there was some competitive friction between the pair but that softened when Bryant had retired and James joined the Lakers.

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“That’s when our relationship became really, really good,” James said. “He welcomed me. He called me, like, ‘Bro, anything you need in LA, I got you. You’re a Laker now. You’re family.’ And we would have multiple conversations. Obviously, you guys saw him coming to a lot of games … And when I passed him for the scoring record in Philly, he had a tweet out there like, ‘Keep on going.’ Like, ‘Keep transcending the game. Keep going.’ And that shit meant so much to me.”

James also spoke about his son and Lakers teammate, Bronny. Bronny was drafted by the Lakers…

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Publish date : 2025-03-26 21:23:00

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