Never has anyone dominated swimming the way Michael Phelps did. In his prime, the ‘flying fish’ was seemingly undefeatable. After his historic 2008 Beijing Olympics performance, Phelps became a ‘feared’ athlete in not just swimming but across all sports. People started comparing Michael with Wayne Gretzky (Ice Hockey) and Michael Jordan (Basketball). Michael was on the path to becoming the GOAT of swimming.

Both Michaels left their mark in their respective fields. The NBA players were (jokingly) scared of taking either Michael on, even in a friendly game. While we have heard numerous tales of MJ’s intimidation, the ‘Phelps fear’ was evident in NBA legend LeBron James’ speech once.

LeBron James shunned Michael Phelps from an NBA team match

There’s hardly anyone who would want to skip a chance to meet with and (possibly) hang out in the pool with Michael Phelps. The retired American swimmer has become the idol of every upcoming swimmer in the world. But in the world of professional sports, Phelps was a man many people ‘feared.’ Not literally, but athletes would rather watch him perform than compete against him. In 2016, Basketball superstar LeBron James won Sports Illustrated’s Sports Person of the Year award. And he included Phelps in his speech.

‘King James’ said, “There were so many unbelievable achievements in 2016, and we’ve seen so many great athletes.” He added, “Obviously, Mike Phelps, you got — we talk about you at the crib so much, man. You are literally a fish. Literally. Like, I have no idea how you do what you do. You would definitely win the game that me and my boys play — let’s see who can stay under the water the longest and not come up. You’re not invited to that game, by the way.”

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Shaquille O’Neal’s Ultimate Heartwarming Gesture for Michael Phelps Left Sports Fans Hearts Melted Once

Unfortunately, James and Phelps could not get any one-to-one time that night, and this was their popular interaction. But the two have had a chat with each other occasionally. But roughly a month after the ceremony, the world would see another interaction between the two legends.

When LBJ acknowledged Phelps after a massive dunk

Rare is the occasion when LBJ is not THE most accomplished athlete inside a basketball arena. One such instance was when Michael Phelps dropped by to watch the Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Phoenix Suns at their home court.

Michael and his wife, Nicole, were sitting courtside on the floor to the left of the basket where the Cavs were to score. James threw in a monster two-handed dunk early in the fourth quarter and pointed towards Michael. Talking about the same, Phelps said, “It’s just funny. I was just talking to people who were sitting around us, and they were like, ‘Did he just point at you, or is he pointing at me?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I don’t really know.’ And then he drills a 3. It was awesome.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Legendary Michael Phelps vs 17-year-old Chlorine Daddy David Popovici: whos Faster?

In the same year, Phelps flew to Rio to partake in his last Olympic games. And, as expected, the ‘Baltimore Bullet’ surmounted one record on top of another, leaving behind a glorious legacy for the coming generations to follow.