‘TIME100 Athlete of the Century’ LeBron James Makes His GOAT Stance Clear: “I’m Not Taking Nobody Over Me”

No matter what LeBron James or Michael Jordan say, until the end of time, the GOAT debate will constantly be a part of any debate involving the NBA.

It started when the Los Angeles Lakers superstar claimed that he was the rightful heir to the throne. Since then, either fans are trying their best to argue his case, or critics are busy listing his shortcomings.

That back and forth is going to continue, especially since the King is still playing basketball. Had he stopped, the media and fans could have shifted to more current topics.

But James is still current, even though he himself is not sure whether he wants to continue playing basketball. Considering how past rumors have turned out to be fakes, fans will wait until the four-time champion says it himself.

The Akron native has recently distanced himself from the GOAT debate. But when TIME magazine caught up with him, they had to ask about it.

I’m not taking nobody over me. There’s no question. But I think Mike will say the same thing. Rest his soul, Kobe will say the same thing… I don’t think none of us are going to take somebody else. If there’s a general manager and he’s eyeballing all of us on a baseline, with the No. 1 pick, it’s gonna be hard not to take me, champ.

LeBron James replied

He made it clear that it is hard for the greats of the game to put anyone above themselves. However, if a GM were to build a team, LeBron James felt there was no one better than him to be the best option.

LeBron James does not know when his basketball career ends

Now that he has made it clear how he feels about his legacy as one of the, if not the, greatest basketball players in the world, LeBron James then delved into how long he can continue his illustrious career.

It’s up to the mind. Where the mind goes, the body will lay. When I’m not in love with getting to the arenas on game days five hours before to start my preparation, if I’m out of love with getting to practice 2½ hours beforehand, then I know I’ll be done. Because then I’m going to start cheating the game.

James said

This was the 22-time All-Star, making it clear that he has to fall out of love with the game of basketball to know when it is time to call it quits. It also means that until he does, he will continue playing.

If anything, this was the clearest indication that the father of three will continue playing for at least another year. His contract situation with the Lakers might be in limbo, but at least they know his fire has not been put out.

LeBron James named TIME Magazine’s Athlete of the Century

Other than talking about his basketball career, LeBron James also dived into questions about his family, his investments, and his overall impact on society.

The last part is why TIME Magazine created this interview. That is because they named the 41-year-old their TIME100 Most Influential People in Sports’ Athlete of the Century.

The four-time league MVP was already the only basketball star to be their Athlete of the Year, a feat matched by WNBA and Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark in 2024.

LeBron James wrote the blueprint for exceeding expectations.

Here’s how our first-ever TIME100 Sports cover star redefined the modern athlete: https://t.co/VjIOkChMBM pic.twitter.com/0PCKJSeFMH

— TIME (@TIME) June 9, 2026

Now, he gets this accolade to place on his already stacked trophy case. If this continues until he retires, the four-time league MVP might have to build another mansion just for them in Los Angeles or his family home in Ohio.

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