Luka Doncic Has Answered the Michael Jordan vs LeBron James Debate

Could things be awkward between Doncic and his new running mate? Luka has been asked about a variety of LeBron-related topics since joining the Lakers in February, but he’s yet to be forced into admitting who his GOAT is. However, Doncic already gave his opinion on the matter back in October 2023 before a preseason game against the Timberwolves.

Doncic left no doubts about who he believed is the greatest NBA player of all-time. Although he’s made it clear that both James and Jordan are two of his favorite players, and he even looked up to LeBron as a kid, he gives MJ the nod for the ultimate honor.

While he wasn’t a Laker back in 2023-24, and he was forced to choose one or the other, fans were sure to take his words as derogatory towards his new teammate. It’s unclear why exactly Doncic chose Jordan over James, but he surely appreciates the dominant scoring of the NBA’s all-time PPG leader.

Speaking later about LeBron after joining him with the Lakers, Doncic had this to say:

Additionally, Doncic is arguably the most competitive player in the league today. He’s perhaps best known for his fiery outbursts on the court towards opponents or hostile crowds as he’s feeding their team buckets. There’s nothing like the Luka Doncic show when he gets going in a heated matchup, similar to how Jordan was all those years ago.

Luka Doncic Plays More Like LeBron James

Although Doncic takes some aspects of both players’ skillsets, and is wired more like Jordan was, he certainly emulates James’ playstyle much more. This makes sense considering he idolized James from a young age as he ascended to be one of Europe’s best young superstars.

Doncic, like James, brings value to his team as a primary offensive initiator who plays a heliocentric style of shot-creation. Both guys are six-foot-seven or taller, but they act as the point guard and floor general for their teams. They bring the ball up, kickstart their offense, and create the majority of the scoring advantages.

Both stars have drawn criticism throughout their careers for their ball-dominant style of play, as many believe that they ice out their teammates by asking them to play solely off-ball roles on offense. They create the advantage by finding their own shot or driving and kicking, and their mates are expected to finish plays rather than start them.

James Harden has drawn the same criticism during his time.

While these critiques are fair, both guys have clearly been a net positive on every team they’ve played on. They’re two of the greatest offensive players of all-time because of their ability to get a good shot for their squad every single time down the floor. There’s very little variance or lack of reliability in their offensive games, which gives their team a high minimum performance.

It is definitely interesting that Doncic chose Jordan over James in the fiery GOAT debate despite imitating his playstyle, but most people still consider Mike to be the best. The tide is certainly changing in that regard as the years fade away and LeBron continues to rack up accolades, but Doncic hasn’t shifted yet.

Perhaps he will change his mind after another season alongside LeBron.