Towards the end of his NBA career, former Boston Celtics star Cedric Maxwell had the chance to match up with a young Michael Jordan many times. Of course, by then, Maxwell had left Boston and was now in the Western Conference and past his prime.

However, despite the experience of facing Jordan one-on-one during his career, Maxwell is adamant that the Chicago Bulls legend is not the greatest player of all time as many NBA fans and players would suggest.

Instead, Maxwell has put his name behind Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James in the GOAT debate. In an interview on NBC Sports Boston's “Arbella's Early Edition,” the former Finals MVP explained what exactly puts James above Jordan in his mind.

“LeBron James is the GOAT now,” NBA legend said. “He's the GOAT because, not only on the basketball side, but social issues: He's been involved in every social issue that we look at.”

James has been very active and vocal in humanitarian efforts, as well as social issues such as the recent protests over police brutality and racial injustice.

“When somebody says, ‘Shut up and dribble' — LeBron James has put his money where his mouth is, and that to me resonates. That's why I think more of our players and more NBA people need to step up and find that same courage,” Maxwell added.

As for Jordan, Maxwell criticized the Bulls icon for staying out of politics and for seemingly prioritizing commercial gain above anything else.

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“During this pandemic, Georgia opened up, and there was a shoe store that dropped Jordan's shoes during that time,” Maxwell furthered. “And it showed all these kids with no masks on (trying to buy Jordan's shoes). Did Nike need that kind of publicity? Did Jordan need that kind of publicity?”

Obviously, James is just as effective on the court as he is off it. Despite getting to the age where most superstars decline drastically, the 17-year NBA veteran has put up 25.7 points, a league-high 10.6 assists and 7.9 rebounds per game in 2019-20 while helping lead the Lakers to the best record in the Western Conference.

For what it's worth though, MJ did release a statement in the wake of George Floyd's death while condemning racism and racial injustice.