"Every team LeBron beat is way better than all the teams that Jordan beat." Joe Budden proclaimed this recently on an episode of his Joe Budden Podcast. This debate has been ongoing for about a decade now, and one of LeBron James' recent triumphs has re-sparked it again. On Feb. 7, LeBron became the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. Surpassing Laker legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James' epic two-point fade-away against the Oklahoma City Thunder got him over the mountain.
After this feat, voices from all across Hollywood congratulated LeBron. Shaq, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Rihanna, Fat Joe, and more all chimed in on Bron's record-breaker. Even Michael Jordan, who many debate is the only player ever better than James, had a few words. "Congratulations to LeBron on this incredible achievement. It’s a testament to his hard work, longevity, and his great skill," MJ said. So, even if they may have a rivalry in the GOAT debate, Bron and MJ can still put their pride to the side at times.
Joe Budden's Take
Just a few weeks after James practically called himself basketball's GOAT, Joe Budden seemed to concur. Continuing on his aforementioned Bron vs. MJ rant, Budden explained the discrepancy between their competition. "Roll 'em all in a pack and smoke 'em. All of them teams is trash, stop it. Utah twice, Karl Malone, stop it. The Sonics, stop it. Stop it, he beat up on f**kin' Dale Ellis and them. Shut the f**k up! He don't know what it's like when some killers walk in the gym. Oh sh*t that's Klay, oh sh*t that's Steph, Draymond. Oh sh*t, Durant there too. N****s just wildin' over there!"
Budden asserts that players from the late-2010s Golden State Warriors were much more difficult to play than any teams Jordan played in his NBA Finals appearances. In his quote, Budden mentions Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz and the Seattle Supersonics, led by Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp. At the time, both squads were thought to be elite. However, LeBron played against the Warriors in four straight NBA Finals, only winning one of those matchups. Jordan finished his career 6-0 in NBA Finals. Do you think Joe Budden makes a valid point?