LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan isn’t just a debate, it’s a generational fault line. They are two of the greatest players in sports and basketball. They defined their respective eras. Jordan was James’ idol growing up, much like millions in that time.  “When you talk about inspiration, there was nobody more inspiring to me than Michael Jordan.” James recently said, “MJ was a flat-out scorer. You know he was a scorer-scorer. He had a scorer’s mentality.” How good it would be to have both just talking hoops?

It would be a conversation on how each built dominance in different rules, spacing, and defensive environments, and what truly translates across eras beyond nostalgia or rings count alone. Both have contrasting natures as well, Jordan being incredibly competitive, while LeBron is more collaborative by comparison. 

Churning in the rumour mill that Jordan is set to appear on James’ podcast ‘Mind The Game’. Steph Curry headlined the latest drop. Earlier sit-downs featured Kevin Durant and Luka Dončić, plus deep-dive installments alongside Steve Nash and JJ Redick in the earlier season. Based on the guest list, it seems possible that Jordan shows up. However, let’s slow down a bit. Is the viral rumour even true? 

Will Michael Jordan Appear On LeBron James ‘Mind The Game?

An account with 46000 followers on Facebook posted this seemingly breaking news. “Michael Jordan will be on LeBron James’s podcast Mind the Game on December 23,” the account wrote as a caption. It was accompanied by an image of LeBron and Jordan on the set of ‘Mind The Game’. The post has received more than 4000 likes and 1100 comments in a short time. 

Unfortunately for fans, currently, there are no credible sources that confirm it. The podcast regularly posts announcements regarding its next guest, and it hasn’t updated its next guest yet. While December 23 is a Tuesday and the podcast mentions, “Check out new episodes every other Tuesday,” that is not a good enough reason to assume this is true. Since the news remains in a grey area currently, let’s look at how likely Jordan is to appear on LeBron James’ podcast. 

How Realistic is a Michael Jordan Appearance on LeBron James’ pod?

We already know that LeBron James and Michael Jordan don’t have the best relationship. “We don’t talk,” James said on the “Pat McAfee Show” in March this year. “Because I’m still playing. I’m still playing, I’m still focused on my craft right now.” He emphasised that it’s not because of any personal enmity but Jordan’s innate competitive nature. While Jordan and LeBron come from different eras, they are still in the ‘Goat’ conversation. James has already broken multiple records previously held by Jordan. 

“And MJ, we all know MJ,” James said. “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, and every time my name is mentioned, it’s mentioned with his – he’s like: ‘I don’t want to f**king talk to you. Don’t talk to me right now, I’m on a back nine.’” LeBron is still playing and currently recovering from injury, so we can almost rule out Jordan’s appearance in the ongoing season.

However, when Lebron retires and if he continues his podcast, we can see Jordan as a possible guest. In the past, he has stayed out of the media as much as he could, but recently, something changed. “I have an obligation to the game of basketball … as a basketball player is to be able to pass on messages of success and dedication to the game of basketball,” Jordan said during a segment at halftime of the season-opening game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets. 

He appeared on NBA broadcasting after more than 20 years! It feels he has come around to the idea of sharing his knowledge with the fans. “I miss that aspect of playing the game of basketball (competitiveness), being able to challenge myself against what people see as great basketball. But it’s better for me to be sitting here talking to you as opposed to popping my Achilles, and I’m in a wheelchair for a while,” he said. If Jordan is looking to share his knowledge, a conversation with arguably the greatest of the modern generation is probably the perfect stage.