Nightcap Hour 2: LeBron Says Identity of the GOAT is ‘BEYOND DOUBT” + Angel Reese Gets REVENGE on Chicago Sky + Olivia Miles SHINES in WIN over Wings + Brandon Aiyuk is BACK on IG + Kyler Murray on His ADJUSTMENT + Justin Gaethje joins NIGHTCAP ahea

**Shannon Sharpe** (0:01)
In an interview with Time, Sean Gregory, LeBron, said, while Michael Jordan might hold more influence, the identity of the GOAT is beyond a doubt.
I'm not taking nobody over me. There's no question, but I think Mike will say the same thing. Rest his soul. Kobe would say the same thing. Magic would say the same thing. Bird would say the same thing. Shaq could say the same thing. The late Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem, I don't think none of us are going to take nobody over us. If there's a general manager, and he's eyeballing us all on the baseline with the number one pick, I think it's going to be really hard not to take me, champ. Joe, if you're building a franchise, you're building an NBA franchise from scratch, all the names that he's mentioned, who you taking?

**Iso Joe Johnson** (0:50)
I'm taking MJ. I'm taking MJ one, fellas.

**Shannon Sharpe** (0:54)
Okay.

**Iso Joe Johnson** (0:55)
That's who I'm taking. Who you taking, y'all?

**Shannon Sharpe** (0:59)
Why are you taking MJ?

**Iso Joe Johnson** (1:00)
Why I'm taking MJ?

**Shannon Sharpe** (1:01)
Yes.

**Iso Joe Johnson** (1:02)
The reasons is, first of all, he's a two-way guy. Not only he a two-way, he gon dominate both ends of the floor.

**Shannon Sharpe** (1:10)
Yes.

**Iso Joe Johnson** (1:10)
He gon score 40, 50, he gon shed his man down. He ain't having that.

**Shannon Sharpe** (1:16)
Right.

**Iso Joe Johnson** (1:16)
You know what I mean? And I just, for me, growing up, I think they're all goaded.
That's why when I categorize a lot of these greats, I just say, man, he goaded. But, you know, obviously, MJ is a guy I grew up watching, idolizing. But all those guys got gold status, man. I guess it's a preference.

**Shannon Sharpe** (1:42)
I totally agree. Ochocinco, you got the number one pick.

**Chad Johnson** (1:46)
Starter franchise, I mean, that's really difficult. You have to think the game of basketball, based on the eras that they played in, was completely different. But these players that LeBron did mention are players that could play in any damn era. So it really doesn't matter. They would be effective regardless of what era they played in, regardless of what position they played. So like Joe did say, it probably, it does come down to preference. And for me, as much as I love LeBron, as much as I love Magic and Kareem, and much as I love Shaq, as dominant as Shaq was during his tenure, when he played, I prefer MJ. Love LeBron.
Love him to death. LeBron can do no wrong in my eyes based on what he's been able to accomplish since coming out of high school and having all the expectations bestowed upon him to be the chosen one. And he lived up to every single one, plus some.
But just MJ in general. I mean, why? Because of his dominance when he did play, even though LeBron dominated as well. At MJ's height, I'm not sure how many finals he won. I can't really say it off the top of the thing, but was it five or six?
Yeah, I mean, six.

**Shannon Sharpe** (2:52)
Six finals, six and all.

**Chad Johnson** (2:54)
Being six and all, never losing.
His cultural impact, his influence, long after the game is gone, long after he's done playing. Just so many different factors coming to play when it comes to him. But you can't go wrong. At this point, it's kind of nitpicking, and it's really based off preference on who you like.

**Shannon Sharpe** (3:13)
Yeah, me, I'm going to take LeBron for the simple fact he can do all things well. Great. He can score the basketball. He can rebound the basketball. He can facilitate an offense. And I think he can do that better than say Kobe and Jordan. Now, can he facilitate an offense better than Magic? Probably not, but Magic couldn't score the basketball like he could or rebound the basketball like he could. We look at some of these bigs, they could score and rebound, they couldn't run an offense like he could. And so for me, if I'm starting a franchise and I'm probably, it all depends if I'm starting. And ain't nobody else on the roster. I don't have anybody else.
I'm gonna have to build my roster around him.
I'm gonna take Bron. And like you said, now LeBron, Kobe and Jordan have both more defensive awards, all NBA defensive teams. But I don't think for me, I don't know if any individual had more on his plate than what LeBron was asked to do. To score the basketball, to rebound the basketball and to facilitate his offense.