Austin Reaves Reveals How Long Ago LeBron James Became the NBA's GOAT In His Eyes

Long after LeBron James is done playing, the conversation between him and Michael Jordan as the NBA's Greatest of All Time will continue raging. Both had incredible careers full of accomplishments, but to this point, there are many people on both sides of the argument, with many current NBA players weighing in on the debate recently.

The latest to do so was James' current teammate Austin Reaves, and unsurprisingly, he's on the side of his long-time teammate. However, he also revealed when he believe James became the GOAT, noting that he could have retired six years ago and been seen as the best to ever play the game.

“In my opinion, he's the best player to ever touch a basketball. He probably could have retired six years ago, and people would still say the same thing. He has enough money, regardless of what he was saying on that podcast the other day. He has enough money. The only reason he's still playing basketball it’s because he loves the grind. He loves the game. He wants to continue to get better.”

Heading into Year 23 in the NBA, it's easy to see why James is so respected, as he's been doing it at a high level longer than anybody in league history. Ultimately, though, the debate will rage on no matter what Reaves says, as there are so many current players who see MJ as the best to ever do it, and in the end, we'll likely never have a definitive answer.