"He's gonna be the guy who re-establishes the bar for what the G.O.A.T. is," Julius Erving praises LeBron James' longevity, gives his take on the G.O.A.T. debate

The debate on who the greatest player of all time between Michael Jordan and LeBron James is possibly never-ending. Jordan is still considered the G.O.A.T., but LeBron getting the all-time scoring record by next season makes the debate more interesting.

In an interview with on The Rich Eisen Show, the legendary Julius Erving was asked about LeBron's place in the G.O.A.T. debate. "Dr. J" praised James' longevity, comparing him to other legendary players and calling him "The Chosen One."

"Well, he's gone past everybody for one thing. He comes in at 18 years old and he had the pro body and the pro ability as a high schooler. I really haven't seen anybody have that package... LeBron is the Chosen One in that regard. He's gonna play into his 40s. He's gonna have a 22 to 23-year career," Erving said.

Julius Erving added that LeBron James' investment in his body puts him in a great position to have a long career. As for the G.O.A.T. debate, Erving believes that LeBron is destined to raise the bar for future generations and re-write the meaning of what being a G.O.A.T. means.

"He's put a million dollars into his body every offseason to be able to still be out there... He's gonna be the guy, at the end of the day, he's gonna be the guy who re-establishes the bar for what the G.O.A.T. is," Erving said.

"The King" has certainly earned the right to be mentioned among the great Michael Jordan. LeBron is one of the best players to ever do it and quite possibly the most durable player in NBA history. He has broken records and will continue to set new ones as he heads towards the twilight of his career.

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Can LeBron James and the LA Lakers bounce back next season?

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.

LeBron James and the LA Lakers will miss the playoffs following their 121-110 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night. James, who missed the game due to an ankle injury, watched his Lakers get eliminated from playoff contention. It was a fitting end to a disappointing season.

But can LeBron and the Lakers bounce back next season? They certainly can if they can overhaul their roster and find a trade partner for Russell Westbrook. Anthony Davis also has to find a way to stay healthy, while the front office has a lot of work to do.

Head coach Frank Vogel is expected to be gone next season. Finding the right coach is not impossible, but they also need to overhaul the roster with a limited cap space.

Of course, the Lakers can opt to rebuild and trade everyone. However, LeBron is still one of the best players in the world and could easily carry a team to a title as long as the right pieces are around him.