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Reggie Miller commentating during Game One between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves on May 22.
NBA legend Reggie Miller upset some LeBron James’ fans by ranking him below Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant on his all-time rankings. The former Indiana Pacers legend is currently one of the top broadcasters and gives his opinion on the important basketball topics around the league. Miller tried to back up his reasoning for ranking James below the two other modern GOATs of the past three decades.
The following quote from Miller was revealed on the Dan Patrick Show:
“I think we get caught up when we talk about the GOAT situation and the GOAT debate. To me, the best player of the three is MJ. Kobe is a clone and a better version, he’s Mike on steroids. Better jump shooter.
To me, the fundamentals were better because he perfected them to be like the master, MJ. But if we’re going stack-for-stack player, to me: MJ, Kobe, and then LeBron.”
Miller clearly ranked LeBron third behind Jordan and Bryant on the all-time rankings. Jordan is often argued over James as the #1 all-time great, but Kobe is typically a few spots behind these two on most rankings. Miller showed a high level of respect for Bryant by ranking him above LeBron and just behind Jordan.
Reggie Miller Offered Different Praise To LeBron
The commentary from Miller focused on different definitions of being the best and saw LeBron having a better argument in another context. Miller felt Jordan and Bryant were better “pound for pound” players when looking at all three as basketball players.
Some praise was offered to James for having the best overall career due to longevity:
“If you’re talking about careers, the best career out of all three of those, in my opinion, is LeBron [James] because of the longevity in what he has done in eight straight Finals. Career versus player. There’s a difference. LeBron has had the best career out of anyone, for him to continue to play like this at this level this late in his career. “
The eight consecutive NBA Finals appearances with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat received Miller’s praise. Miller claimed that he views LeBron as having a better career than Kobe or MJ, but he still doesn’t rank James above them in his overall list.
Reggie Miller’s Career Influences His Ranking
Miller deserves credit for being honest and talking about his playoff losses being involved. The Dan Patrick Show interview later turned to Miller revealing that he only played one game against a young LeBron, so he never got to fully experience playing against the icon.
Jordan was the top dog during Miller’s prime and eliminated his Pacers during their greatest 1998 season in a seven-game Conference Finals series. Bryant was a top star for the Los Angeles Lakers when they defeated Miller’s Pacers in his only NBA Finals appearance.
Miller got to experience both Jordan and Bryant at their highest-level during NBA Championship runs that blocked him from a title. James never playing against Miller in important games makes it harder for Reggie to put him above his former rivals.
Joey Haverford Joey Haverford is a seasoned sports content writer with over 12 years of experience. He has covered the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, and professional wrestling in the sports industry. More about Joey Haverford
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