LeBron James explains why he and Michael Jordan “don’t talk”

Debates over the Greatest Of All Time are a constant conversation topic between sports fans, but lovers of the NBA may be shocked to learn that two players in GOAT contention don’t talk to one another.

That was the revelation that emerged from LeBron James’ appearance on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ this week, giving a 75-minute interview in Indianapolis. The conversation between James and McAfee spanned a variety of topics but comments about the Chicago Bulls legend will have surprised some fans.

“We don’t talk,” James said, when asked about his relationship with Jordan. “Because I’m still playing. I’m still playing, I’m still focused on my craft right now.”

“I think it’s because I’m still playing,” the Lakers star continued. “And MJ, we all know MJ. Even if you don’t know him personally, he is one of the most ruthless competitors there is. And until I’m done and he doesn’t have to look at me running up and down wearing the No. 23 [it will stay this way].”

What did LeBron James say about Kobe Bryant?

Jordan is not the only NBA icon that initially kept James at a distance. For a decade LeBron James and Kobe Bryant were two of the NBA’s biggest draws but their paths rarely crossed, owing largely to a quirk of geography. While the two were in the league James was dominating the Eastern Conference and Bryant played his entire career with the LA Lakers.

“The funny thing is, me and Kobe - the late, great Kob, obviously - me and Kobe never had a real relationship either,” James said. “We were on the [USA] Olympic team, we had a great relationship there. The Olympic team in 2008, the Olympic team in 2012, but it was always competitive between us. We were always like, I was on the East Coast, he was on the West Coast.”

The relationship started to change with Bryant’s retirement in 2016 and the bond was tightened two years later, when James joined the Lakers.

“That’s when our relationship became really, really good,” James explained. “He welcomed me. He called me, like, ’Bro, anything you need in LA, I got you. You’re a Laker now. You’re family.’ And we would have multiple conversations. Obviously, you guys saw him coming to a lot of games... And when I passed him for the scoring record in Philly, he had a tweet out there like, ’Keep on going.’ Like, ‘Keep transcending the game. Keep going.’ And that s**t meant so much to me.”

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