On Monday evening, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers fell to 3-4 on the young 2023-24 NBA campaign with a tough road loss at the hands of the Miami Heat. James had the ball in his hands with just seconds to go and the Lakers trailing by one, and he elected to pass out of a double team to a wide-open Cam Reddish in the corner.

Unfortunately for Los Angeles, Reddish's three-point attempt clanked off of the back of the rim and the Heat escaped with the victory.

After the game, some questioned James' decision to pass the ball, even if it was clearly the smart play to make, but James' former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Richard Jefferson was not here for the criticism.

“[Michael] Jordan passed it to Steve Kerr. Jordan passed it to [John] Paxson, and they hit shots,” said Jefferson on ESPN, per Lakers Daily. “You need guys–your job is done once you've created the advantage. You've gotta knock down those shots.”

Richard Jefferson's comments might come as a shock to Michael Jordan fans, who usually rely on abstract arguments like “killer instinct” and “clutch gene” as opposed to concrete evidence when discussing their case for Jordan being better than LeBron James all-time. Of course, the great irony is that Jordan indeed did make the correct basketball play and pass to open teammates for game-winners several times throughout his career.

As for the Lakers, the team will next take the court on November 8 when they travel to take on the Houston Rockets.