Over 77 years of its existence, the NBA has been graced by greats and giants. But only a few could come close to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. One player however has made a strong case to be considered among these two exceptional talents. And that is The King LeBron James.

Entering the league as The Chosen One, James defied all odds to emerge as one of the greatest to ever play the game. The Akron Hammer’s legendary career speaks volumes for itself in the GOAT debate. This may have prompted a $53.8M rich NBA star to pay his respects to James.

NBA starlet gives LeBron James the edge

The GOAT debate has bewildered the NBA world for several years. This age-old question has never found a solution due to the varying perspectives of fans. However, few of the most common names that come up in this debate are Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. The King’s teammate recently shared his opinion on the GOAT debate, surprisingly snubbing both Jordan and Bryant.

Austin Reaves recently weighed in on the GOAT debate in a radio appearance. The 25-year-old stated his love for the Black Mamba but gave his teammate the edge in the debate. “My personal opinion, even being a Kobe guy, I think [LeBron James] is the greatest that ever played,” he boldly remarked. “You can make an argument but I think….how good he is in all facets of the game, I don’t think anybody has been that good at everything so I think he’s the greatest player ever.”

Read More: “Extremely Proud And Excited”: LeBron James Reacts To Clutch Performance From Lakers Rookie Austin Reaves

Reaves had his say in the GOAT debate, clearly giving The King the upper hand. However, “Hillbilly Kobe” also had some words about how James helps his game as a teammate.

Reaves hails The King as a teammate

Austin Reaves made headlines when he signed a whopping $53,827,872 contract with the Lakers this summer. The star combo-guard had a phenomenal season in 20220-23 that culminated to this staggering deal. However, he had a lot of help coming from the 4-time champion, LeBron James.

In the same interview on NBARadio, Reaves revealed James’ role in his rise to the top. “Just to have someone like that….not even basketball-wise,….I can pick up the phone and call him whenever….I think he would do whatever,” said Reaves.

He then mentioned, “Super cool, you know, especially the stature of what he is and who he is….we connected on a IQ level, just playing the game the right way, we always had….that natural basketball feel playing with each other….”

Watch This Story: Did Michael Jordans $159B Company Choice: Boosting Aaron Judge Over Shohei Ohtani Due to Anti-LA Bias

Reaves and James will be reunited on the basketball court when the NBA action begins this October. With the Lakers trying to make a championship push, both the stars will have crucial roles to play in this effort.