The 2025-26 NBA regular season is less than a couple of weeks away, and L.A. Lakers forward LeBron James will be the first athlete ever to play a 23rd year in the league.
The all-time great is still among the best players in the world, and with a franchise with high expectations in the Western Conference. For years now, the NBA GOAT debate has largely revolved around two legendary wings: James and Michael Jordan.
Michael played 15 years in the NBA, building one of the league’s most dominant dynasties with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s. MJ ultimately won six Larry O’Brien trophies in eight years and was named Finals MVP for all of those championship runs.
LeBron, on the other hand, has fewer championships, Finals MVPs, and regular-season MVPs to his name, but he’s made a record 21 All-NBA teams and is the NBA’s current all-time leader in points.
These two titans have ultimately compiled staggering resumes, which is why public discourse over the GOAT debate has mostly narrowed it down to just them.
Stephen A. Smith has been one of the most prominent voices in this debate. While the famed ESPN analyst hasn’t drastically changed his opinion on who he believes is the greatest player of all time, he did make a recent eye-opening admission on this topic.
In fact, Smith tried to end this conversation once and for all, giving his final verdict on the GOAT debate after LeBron hit another unimaginable milestone.
Stephen A. Smith gave his final take on the NBA GOAT debate
Stephen A. Smith has long been one of the most prominent media personalities in professional sports, offering his candid and often-controversial opinions on a wide range of topics.
On an episode of ESPN’s First Take, Smith reacted to LeBron James becoming the first player in NBA history to score 50,000 career points.
While Stephen A. has a very checkered past with the Lakers’ star, the longtime sports pundit gave an honest acknowledgment of this unprecedented milestone.