Richardson compares LeBron James to Lionel Messi

Often times, superstars in one sport are compared to their counterparts in another. This happened recently with San Antonio Spurs guard and avid soccer fan Josh Richardson.

In a recent interview on Instagram, he was asked to give an NBA comparison to some of professional soccer's biggest names. Surprising nobody, Richardson responded with LeBron James when asked about Lionel Messi's comp.

When Polish striker Robert Lewandowski came up, the veteran guard went with Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant.

In today's world of professional sports, there are few names bigger than LeBron James and Lionel Messi. Both have had long, historic careers, and will go down as some of the greatest ever in their respective sports.

While not intending to be insulting, Richardson highlighted a key point when debating elite talents. Even with players who are among the best of the best, there are levels to greatness.

Durant is a generational talent, but still falls a little short of someone like LeBron James. Similar to how Lewandowski has had a long and successful career, but is not on par with Lionel Messi.

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LeBron James and Lionel Messi transcend their sport

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In rare cases, some players become bigger than their sport. This is when an athlete truly reaches legendary status.

Because of how great they are, almost everyone knows them. Professional soccer is not as big in North America as it is overseas, but the majority of casual sports fans know Lionel Messi.

LeBron James is also still a major pop culture figure in nations where basketball isn't particularly popular. Their longevity and success have allowed them to transcend their respective sports.

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Few players have reached this level, but James and Messi have certainly done so. They are cemented among names like Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, and Muhammad Ali as athletes whose names will echo throughout history.

At the end of the day, all superstar talents should be appreciated for what they've done. Even if they don't attain GOAT status, being near the top of any pro sport is a huge accomplishment in itself.

Richardson was spot-on with this comparison. Across all sports currently, LeBron James and Lionel Messi might be the only proper comps for each other.

Both comprise a tier every player dreams of reaching when they first begin their careers. There is no denying the two are in a class of their own.