LeBron James made his true feelings on Michael Jordan clear when naming his NBA starting five of all-time

In an interview with former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand, LeBron James listed Michael Jordan among his dream NBA starting five.

Filmed for Ferdinand's 5IVE brand back in 2009, the ex-Three Lions star asked the basketball icon to pick his all-time greatest line-up.

James, who had not yet won any of his four NBA titles or four MVP awards at the time, decided against putting himself in his imaginary team, instead giving himself the role of general manager.

"Since I'm picking the team, I'll be the GM," he said.

James then selected Oscar Robinson – a title winner with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971 and nicknamed 'The Big O' – as his point guard.

He chose Boston Celtics legend and three-time MVP Larry Bird for the small forward position, the role the current Los Angeles Lakers star has most often played in his own career.

At power forward, he chose Lakers icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. And he plumped for 7ft 1ins big man Shaquille O'Neal – a team-mate of his on the Cleveland Cavaliers at the time – as the centre.

Throughout his storied NBA career, James has been compared to Jordan. Widely considered to be the two greatest players in basketball history, the pair often find themselves on either side of heated debates among fans over who should be considered the GOAT.

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But James, who grew up idolising Jordan and chose to wear the No 23 to honour the Chicago Bulls superstar, didn't hesitate in picking the six-time NBA Finals MVP to start as the shooting guard in his dream line-up.

To coach the team, James made the left-field choice of James Naismith, the Canadian PE teacher who invented the game back in 1891 by hanging peach baskets high up on a wall.

In February 2023, James became the NBA's all-time leading scorer, eclipsing Abdul-Jabbar's previous high mark of 38,387, and the 39-year-old is about to begin his 22nd season in the league.

But with four MVP awards to Jordan's five and four titles to the Bulls legend's six, he is still playing catch-up when it comes to the key accolades that drive the GOAT debate.