When people talk about the greatest players in NBA history, the conversation typically begins and likely ends with Michael Jordan. But there are a few players who are either current or former Los Angeles Lakers players that enter that conversation in Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue made a recent podcast appearance where he made an interesting comparison between the three all-time greats. Lakers Nation writer Jonathan Sherman captured the quote.

“Just seeing Kobe first, and then I left there and went to Washington and played with Jordan when he was 40,” Lue said. “Just seeing those two, and the way they worked, and how they grinded, and then, like you said, getting LeBron, those three guys, they all the same. Want to win, whatever it takes to win, but their work ethic — you come to the gym, you come in two hours early, and they already finished the workout. They sweating. They’re done.”

Lue played and won an NBA Championship alongside Kobe Bryant, winning two titles from the Lakers three-peat at the turn of the century. He famously was the person Allen Iverson stepped over after sinking the game winning jumper to win Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The Lakers then won the next four games.

He was a teammate briefly with Jordan during his second stint out of retirement with the Wizards. Lue, like everyone else, knows how hard James works. In order for him to still be playing at this level, for this many years, is something neither Jordan nor Bryant were able to do. At the same time, those two are known for having arguably the strongest will to win, with a killer instinct unlike any other athletes outside of probably Tom Brady.