LeBron James and Michael Jordan are often-pitted against one another in basketball debates, with fans arguing which player truly is the greatest of all-time.
Like Jordan before him, James has had a brilliant career and is considered by many as the best player since Jordan. But despite his own success, James said meeting Jordan for the first-time in June 2001 was "godly" for his 16-year-old self.
"It was godly," James said in a recent interview with ESPN. "I've said that over and over before, but it was like meeting God for the first time. That's what I felt like as a 16-year-old kid when I met MJ.
"MJ made the game global." "He made the game global. He made people all over the world want to watch the game of basketball because of his marketability, because of the way he played the game of basketball, because of who he was.
"He kind of transcended that era."
Jordan was 38 in June 2001 and technically retired, though he ultimately unretired for the second time. He joined the Wizards that fall, playing for Washington for two seasons, from 2001-03. Ironically, Jordan retired for the final time after the 2002-03 season, with James making his NBA debut that fall, in October 2003 with the Cavaliers.
At the end of the day, it's nice to know James had the same reaction that most fans would have if they got the chance to meet Jordan.
