Donald Trump Named His GOAT out of Michael Jordan and LeBron James

The debate over who the greatest NBA player of all time is remains as tightly contested as ever, but Donald Trump didn’t hesitate when picking his GOAT between Michael Jordan and LeBron James. It is those two names that regularly feature in conversations surrounding the very best to grace the court, alongside the likes of Kobe Bryant.

Jordan won six NBA titles and five MVP awards during his impressive career, while James, who is still playing for the Los Angeles Lakers at age 41, has won four titles and four MVPs, while also becoming the highest scorer in the league’s history. Objectively and subjectively, it’s difficult to separate the two.

But the US president had his say on the matter back in 2020 and explained his reasoning behind his choice. Trump has often spoken about his enjoyment of the NBA, with several outlets reporting that he is a fan of the Philadelphia 76ers, but during his first term in the White House, he couldn’t help making some of his opinions about the sport revolve around politics.

Trump Picked his NBA ‘GOAT’ Back in 2020

Amid debates over players kneeling when the national anthem was played to support Black Lives Matter, Trump called Clay Travis’ Fox Sports radio show, via The Guardian, in August 2020. The radio host took the opportunity to ask the Republican top dog who he thought was the superior player out of Jordan and James. He replied:

Speaking more broadly about politics in sport, Trump added: “It’s been horrible for basketball. Look at the basketball ratings. People are angry about it. They have enough politics with guys like me. They don’t need more. There was a nastiness about the NBA and the way it was done. The NBA is in trouble. Big trouble.”

At the time, Trump also said he preferred the stance of the NHL, which had no tie-in with Black Lives Matter and had not witnessed widespread kneeling. In the past, the 79-year-old called NFL players who do not stand for the Star-Spangled Banner ‘sons of b*****s’.

James & Jordan Both Used Sport as a Political Vehicle

Both Jordan and James have engaged with politics throughout their careers, with ‘Black Mamba’ speaking out about the “ingrained racism” of the United States after his retirement, while James has often criticised Trump and the racial injustice in the US, despite the latter choosing him as his GOAT for his perceived lack of political involvement.

“You have to stand for your flag, and you have to respect your flag and your country,” Trump added during that now somewhat infamous call. “You’re making millions of dollars a year playing a sport you’d be playing anyway, they’d be playing it on the weekends. And they have to respect their country.”