Warriors 4-time NBA Champion settles LeBron James-Michael Jordan GOAT debate with 6 words
LeBron James is beginning to see the end of his legendary NBA career as the years continue to pass. After two decades of near-complete domination, the clock is ticking. He’ll finish out the upcoming season with the Los Angeles Lakers, but his focus remains on chasing one more NBA championship.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Rich Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
While LeBron hasn’t given an exact timeline for retirement, others have started weighing in. Former Celtics rival Paul Pierce believes the time has already come.
“He’s been the GOAT for so long. He’s maintained the stats. We appreciate what he brought to the game and how he’s held the mantle since (Michael) Jordan left. Bron is one of them ones. We appreciate him, but I think his time is up. We appreciate what he’s done for the league,” Pierce said.
The ongoing GOAT debate — between LeBron James and Michael Jordan — continues to divide fans and analysts alike. On Tuesday, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green gave his take, appearing to side with LeBron.
“MJ wasn’t winning with Matthew Dellavedova,” Green said, giving reason to why James is the GOAT.
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While there may never be a definitive answer to who’s the greatest, Green’s comment reflects the viewpoint of many modern players. As someone who has competed directly against LeBron, Green’s words carry weight. The four-time NBA champion seems to believe James is more capable of elevating those around him than Jordan was — a factor that, for some, defines true greatness.
Oilers Cleared in Evander Kane LTIR Investigation
The NHL has closed its investigation into the Edmonton Oilers' usage of long-term injured reserve (LTIR) and found no wrongdoing, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told reporters Tuesday. As a result, the Oilers will not receive any punishment, either retroactive or for the upcoming season.
The investigation centered on Edmonton's handling of forward Evander Kane, who did not play at all during the regular season but returned for Game 2 of the first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings. He then scored six goals and 12 points in 21 playoff games while averaging 16:29 of ice time to help the Oilers reach their second-straight Stanley Cup Final, where they once again lost to the Florida Panthers.
Kane being on LTIR took his $5.125 million cap hit off the Oilers' books, which helped them acquire defenseman Jake Walman and forward Trent Frederic at the trade deadline. The Oilers were far from the first team to use this loophole to add players at the deadline, but for unknown reasons, the league decided to look into their usage of it more closely.
The league is set to close this loophole with the new CBA, which won't fully go into effect until the 2026-27 season, but some changes are already going into effect this season.
Starting this season, teams will be retired to ice a cap-compliant lineup for each playoff game, whereas the salary cap previously ceased to take effect once the postseason rolled around. Teams such as the Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights have iced lineups far above the cap in previous years, though not without significant controversy.
Teams will also receive less LTIR relief for injured players, now capping out at around $3.8 million for one player instead of their full cap hit. This has already had major ramifications around the league, most recently forcing the Montreal Canadiens to trade the contract of legendary goaltender Carey Price after previously having his entire $10.5 million cap hit off the books for the past few years.
The Oilers traded Kane, 34, to the Vancouver Canucks this offseason in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick. The trade was mostly to clear his salary with major extensions due over the next year and change.
Kane scored 62 goals and 111 points in 162 regular season games during his time in Edmonton, plus 26 goals and 42 points in 68 postseason games.
