The debate about who’s the greatest of all time (or GOAT) among basketball players typically comes down to two specific people: Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Clearly, both of them are legends and have had their respective impacts on the game. However, not everyone sees eye to eye on how “His Airness” and “King James” stack up against each other. I’m personally of the belief that Jordan is the one, and it seems Dennis Rodman is of that thinking, too. But there’s another legend Rodman gives credit to as well.
It’s no secret that Dennis Rodman has a major connection to Michael Jordan, as the two were teammates while playing for the Chicago Bulls. So Rodman had a front-row seat to Jordan’s iconic performances on the court. The hall of famer known as “The Worm” was recently asked about his ex-teammate and LeBron James while appearing on N3ON’s recent livestream, which is on YouTube. A fan specifically asked Rodman for his thoughts on Jordan or James being the greatest of all time, and he didn’t hesitate when answering:
We know who that is. Jordan all day long.
The former Detroit Piston definitely isn’t the first person to have named “Air Jordan” the best of all time, and that’s completely understandable. Throughout his storied career, Jordan led the Bulls to six NBA Finals between 1991 and 1998, and the teams emerged victorious every time. On top of that, Jordan earned other accolades like five league MVP awards, 14 All-Star team selections, 10 All-NBA First Team selections and more. So it’s perfectly reasonable for Jordan to be tagged with such a major distinction.
I love that Dennis Rodman has no problem showering praise on players, and that especially appears to be true with those who competed with. Several years back, Rodman hyped up Scottie Pippen – another Bulls teammate – who he views as a friend. (Rodman has also expressed hope that Jordan and Pippen will reconcile after their feud.) All of that aside, though, Rodman also believes a certain Los Angeles Lakers icon should also be in the GOAT discussion alongside Jordan and LeBron James:
People forgot about that one guy. That one guy, that's called Kobe Bryant. People forget about him. They talk about everybody else. They don't talk about Kobe for some reason.
The late Kobe Bryant is still highly regarded as one of the most talented athletes to ever pick up a basketball. Bryant’s list of accolades includes five championship titles, 18 All-Star appearances and an MVP title among other honors. Despite all of that, I’d argue that Bryant – who was famously known as “The Black Mamba” – isn’t brought up within the GOAT conversation as often as he should be. While Rodman previously opined that Air Jordan was more driven than Bryant, his GOAT point still stands.
Of course, LeBron James does indeed deserve his flowers as well, given the championships, MVP awards and All-Star appearances he’s racked up. James is also the highest-scoring player in NBA history, having surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Still, I have to give the edge to Michael Jordan, as I think he had a unique mentality that helped push him beyond his peers. Dennis Rodman clearly recognizes Jordan’s skills, and I know he and I aren’t the only ones.
Hear more from Dennis Rodman as well as Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and more by streaming the ESPN docuseries The Last Dance. The 10-part saga is available to stream with a Netflix subscription.
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