Top 5 NBA players who picked LeBron James over Michael Jordan in the GOAT debate

#3 Isiah Thomas

Portland Trail Blazers v Detroit Pistons

Isiah Thomas was one of Michael Jordan's greatest rivals ever. The two went back and forth in multiple Conference Finals series.

Thomas has always considered a lot of aspects when it comes to calling someone the GOAT. Statistics have been one area that he has preferred to refer to in that regard. Another aspect that he has emphasized is the all-around skills of a player. LeBron James is right up there in both categories.

During the 2020 NBA Finals, Thomas posted a tweet declaring James is the GOAT. Here's the embed of the same:

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James went on to win the NBA Finals that year, which saw him win his fourth NBA title and fourth NBA Finals MVP award. That convinced several fans and analysts that James is indeed the best of all time.

#2 Allen Iverson

Puerto Rico Senior National Team v USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team

Hall of Famer Allen Iverson is one of the biggest Michael Jordan fans ever. "The Answer" was among the few players that got to play against both Jordan and LeBron James.

During a conversation with rapper Fat Joe on Instagram, Iverson claimed that LeBron James is "the one" despite Jordan being his favorite player. He said:

"As much as I love Michael Jordan, man, LeBron James is the one," Iverson said. "He's the one, man. That motherf----- is the one."

Iverson and James played on several NBA All-Star teams together when the former was still with the Philadelphia 76ers. He also claimed he knew James was going to be special even before he entered the NBA in a separate interview.

#1 Scottie Pippen

Golden State Warriors v Portland Trail Blazers - Game Four

Scottie Pippen was the best teammate Michael Jordan ever had. He was highly important to the Chicago Bulls, winning a hat-trick of championships twice in the 1990s.

Pippen has been asked to weigh in on the LeBron James-Michael Jordan GOAT debate in a plethora of interviews. One such instance was during an episode of ESPN's First Take in 2017.

Surprisingly for many, the Hall of Famer went on to choose James over MJ despite his success playing alongside the latter. Here's what Pippen said when asked how close LeBron is to catching Jordan:

"The numbers don't lie, he is right there. He probably won't catch him in terms of MVP, but in terms of statistics, LeBron is right there and when you look across the board, not just scoring, check his assists, check his rebounds, he is probably ahead of Jordan."

Pippen has applauded LeBron James on many occasions. He even claimed recently that James did not have any help on his Cleveland Cavaliers team that won the historic 2016 NBA title.