Former LeBron James Teammate Reveals What Lakers Star Did Twice that Michael Jordan Couldn't Do Once
Former LeBron James Teammate Reveals What Lakers Star Did Twice that Michael Jordan Couldn't Do Once originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Michael Jordan and LeBron James are two of the greatest players in NBA history. The basketball icons have combined to win nine MVPs, 10 championships and 10 NBA Finals MVPs.
Advertisement
Jordan won five MVPs, six titles and six NBA Finals MVPs with the Chicago Bulls in the '90s, while James is a four-time MVP, a four-time champion and a four-time NBA Finals MVP. He has played for the Cleveland Cavaliers (twice), Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers.
The Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) debate between Jordan and James is one of the most discussed topics in basketball discourse. One of James' former teammates recently said he's going with The King over Jordan every time because he thinks James did something twice that Jordan couldn't do once.
One of LeBron James' former teammates is going with The King (left) over Michael Jordan. © David Richard-Imagn Images
Shane Battier, who won two championships with James in Miami, doesn't think Jordan could have won two rings with him as his starting power forward.
Advertisement
"LeBron did something twice that Jordan I don't think could have done once," Battier said on the YouTube show "Pablo Torre Finds Out." "He won two NBA titles with Shane Battier as his starting power forward. No way, no way Jordan could have done that.
"As great as Jordan was, LeBron dragged me across the finish line."
James and Battier helped the Heat win titles in 2012 and 2013. James won back-to-back MVPs and NBA Finals MVPs with Miami.
While Battier is clearly being self-deprecating in his take, he is only half right about being the Heat's starting forward. He started every game of the 2012 NBA Finals but did not crack the starting lineup in any of the Heat's 2013 playoff games.
Advertisement
Jordan, who went 6-0 in the NBA Finals, is first in NBA history in points per game in the regular season and postseason. He has also scored the most points (63) in a playoff game.
James, who is 4-6 in the NBA Finals, is first in NBA history in points. He's the only player ever to rank top five all-time in points and assists.
The GOAT debate between Jordan and James likely will never end, but Battier is going with James because the future Hall of Famer helped him win two rings.
Related: Blockbuster Four-Team NBA Trade Idea Lands Lakers Two New Key Players
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Lakers rumors: Contenders lurking after Dorian Finney-Smith declines $15.4 million option
The post Lakers rumors: Contenders lurking after Dorian Finney-Smith declines $15.4 million option appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Los Angeles Lakers' biggest goal this offseason has to be addressing their lack of depth and getting a big man or two in the room after gutting their roster to acquire Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks last offseason. While Los Angeles waits to see what big men it can make a run after, it was also waiting on the decision from Dorian Finney-Smith. Advertisement Finney-Smith had a player option worth $15.4 million this offseason, and he is choosing to hit the open market instead. The former Maverick has officially declined his player option and will be a free agent when it opens on Monday, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Charania also stated that there will be contending teams that are after Finney-Smith in free agency. 'Los Angeles Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith is declining his $15.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season and will enter free agency, sources tell ESPN,' Charania reported on X, formerly Twitter. 'Multiple contending teams are expected to pursue Finney-Smith beginning Monday night and a Lakers return is possible.' While the Lakers are still in play for Finney-Smith, it appears that it's going to take a substantial raise in order to keep him in Los Angeles. The Florida product has an ideal skillset on the wing for a contender, with the ability to guard elite perimeter scorers and also knock down open shots from the 3-point line. Advertisement He did just that for the Lakers last season, making nearly 40% of his triples after arriving in Los Angeles following a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. He was also a big piece of the defense for JJ Redick and company and was one of the few players that the first-year head coach trusted in the playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Finney-Smith played with Doncic during their time in Dallas and they even went to the Western Conference Finals together in 2022, so those two already have good chemistry together. As a result, the Lakers may decide that it's worth paying a premium to keep the 32-year old around for the long haul as they pivot to building for the future around their new superstar. Related: NBA rumors: Kevin O'Connor suggests Cavs try LeBron James trade with Lakers Related: Ranking 5 best LeBron James trade destinations after Rich Paul's bombshell Lakers quotes
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Orlando Magic decline Mo Wagner and Caleb Houstan's player options
The Orlando Magic are declining the $11 million team option for Center Moritz Wagner and the $2.1 million option for guard Caleb Houstan, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The Magic retain both players' Bird rights, meaning they can re-sign both as free agents. Advertisement Wagner suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in December and was limited to 30 games. Before the injury, Wagner was off to a career-best start to the season, averaging 12.9 points while shooting 56.2% from the field. The brother of Magic star Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner, was selected with the 25th pick in the 2018 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. After three different stops in his first three seasons, he was waived toward the end of the 2020-21 season and picked up by Orlando. Houstan, 22, was selected in the second round of the 2022 draft by Orlando. He averaged 4.1 points in 13.6 minutes per game last season. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
USA Today
25 minutes ago
- USA Today
Golden State Warriors jersey history - No. 16 - Jim Phelan (1953-54)
The Golden State Warriors have had over 600 players don the more than 60 jersey numbers used by their players over the more than 75 years of existence the team has enjoyed in its rich and storied history. Founded in 1946 during the Basketball Association of America (BAA -- a precursor league of the NBA) era, the team has called home the cities of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Oakland, and even San Diego. To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Warriors Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. For this article, we begin with the sixth of nine players who wore the No. 16 jersey for the Warriors. That player would be Golden State guard alum Jim Phelan. After ending his college career at La Salle, Phelan was picked up with the 78th overall selection (there were many more rounds in that era of the draft) of the 1951 NBA draft by the (then) Philadelphia (now, Golden State) Warriors. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native would play the only season of his pro career with the Dubs, retiring from the league as a player afterward. During his time suiting up for the Warriors, Phelan wore only jersey No. 16 and put up 1.3 rebounds per game. All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
