WWE Superstar and future Hall of Famer Randy Orton made it clear this week that he isn't a fan of Los Angeles Lakers star and NBA legend LeBron James. During an appearance on Cody Rhodes' What Do You Wanna Talk About? on WWE's YouTube channel, Orton was not receptive to James being considered one of the best athletes ever. Rhodes mentioned a GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) conversation in pro wrestling, much like in all other sports, and he mentioned the debate between James and Michael Jordan being the top of the heap in the NBA.
After Rhodes named LeBron, Orton responded, “F–k LeBron.”
Cody Rhodes: “There’s a GOAT conversation, just like in all sports, they talk about LeBron [James], Michael [Jordan and] all the different things and the stats.”
Randy Orton: “F*ck LeBron.” 👀
(via @WWE / YT)pic.twitter.com/HOpVrYOwLO
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 15, 2024
Orton did not expand on his comment, so it is unclear if he is simply a LeBron hater or feels strongly that Jordan is the GOAT and should not be compared to others, but James isn't his GOAT. The 44-year-old Orton is one of the most decorated performers in pro wrestling history, as his 14 world titles rank behind only John Cena and Ric Flair's 16 world title reigns on the all-time list.
During his illustrious career with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan three-peated as NBA champion twice, winning six titles overall and being named NBA Finals each time. By comparison, while James may be the NBA's all-time leading scorer, he has only four championships. However, despite being 39, James is still on top of his game. The Lakers superstar helped lead Team USA to a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and is looking to lead Los Angeles this season.
Despite being a hater, Orton is still one of the best in the game. He will look to prove it at Bash in Berlin when he challenges Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Is Randy Orton wrong about LeBron James and the Lakers?
While Orton has accomplished quite a bit in his career of pretending to be an actual fighter, he hasn't nearly accomplished as much as James. At 39 years old, during his 21st NBA season, James showed few signs of mortality. James averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.3 rebounds per game after playing 71 games in the 2024 season. He probably has enough gas left in the tank to do it again the season he turns 40.
James is statistically superior to any other player to ever wear an NBA uniform, with unprecedented achievements, and yet most of the sports commentariat, like Orton, along with millions of fans on social media, are hostile to the notion that he is the undisputed greatest of all time. Simply put, the facts and statistics speak for themselves, and there is, without a doubt, little proof that doesn't say that James isn't the greatest player of all time.
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