No one can deny the immense talent and invaluable contribution that LeBron James continues to bring to basketball. His journey in the NBA has been brilliant, and that’s why the forward himself has just stated that he is the greatest player in league history, a claim that sparked controversy as he left Michael Jordan out of the conversation.

The star gave an interview to the Southern California News Group, in which he confidently stated: “For what I bring as a basketball player, I feel that I am the best player to have ever existed. That’s just my confidence, that’s just what I bring, what I possess.”

“I’ll always feel like I’m the one who played this game the best, but there are also other greats, and I’m happy to be part of that journey,” said the Los Angeles Lakers member in another statement, this time made to Shaquille O’Neal, who now works for the TNT network.

LeBron also spoke about being the current all-time leading scorer in the NBA, and on this topic, he was more cautious, explaining: “As for whether the scoring record takes me to another level, I don’t know.”

Michael Jordan, now retired from the sport, was once asked about the idea of being called “the greatest basketball player of all time,” and he was clear in his response: “I don’t want it because I think it disrespects Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West. All the players I didn’t get to play against.”

“When I hear people call me the greatest of all time, it makes me a little embarrassed, it’s shameful because no one knows. For someone to say I’m better than a certain player, that’s fine, that’s your opinion, I accept the opinion, but if you ask me, I would never say that I’m the greatest basketball player of all time,” he concluded.