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It's a never-ending debate about who the greatest NBA players are. Some people say its Michael Jordan. Others say its LeBron James. Those in between say Kobe Bryant.
But for Hall of Famer Dwayne Wade, he went to bat for his former Miami Heat teammate. On his Wy Network by Dwayne Wade podcast, he said that James hasn't been given the benefit of the doubt, due in part to not thoroughly assessing his career.
“[It's] hard to have this GOAT conversation with guys while [we're] watching who's still playing, right? Because he's going against the GOAT… We haven't been able to digest LeBron [James'] body of work yet… It's very unfair for him.”
"[It's] hard to have this GOAT conversation with guys while [we're] watching who's still playing, right? Because he's going against the GOAT… We haven't been able to digest LeBron [James'] body of work yet… It's very unfair for him."
— Dwyane Wade 🗣️pic.twitter.com/d5deNIPdN4
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 14, 2025
James and Wade were teammates on the Heat from 2010-2015. During that stretch, they won two NBA titles (2012, 2013) and along with Chris Bosh became the “Big 3”.
Prior to that, James and Wade were on the “Redeem Team” that won the Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They repeated that feat at the 2012 London Olympics.
Altogether, James and Wade cultivated a strong friendship. Recently, James signed a $52.6 million player option to play an additional season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
At 40 years old, he is still one of the top players in the game.
LeBron James' place among the NBA GOATs
Among the GOATs, James' name is often floated. Many times fans and analysts like to fully assess greatness based on championships won, impact on the game, and look into the dynamics of differing eras to reach their conclusions.
When it comes to James, he has fit the bill. He is the NBA's all time leading scorer with 42,184. In March, he became the first NBA player to notch 50,000 combined points, regular season and playoffs.
James has four NBA titles (2012, 2013, 2016, and 2020). He is a 21 time NBA All-Star and a two time Olympic Gold Medalist.
Plus, James is continuing to defy the adage of the aging athlete with his currently play. This past year, he averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds.
