Stephen A. and Max debate MJ's greatest rival | First Take

Stephen A. Smith calls Kobe Bryant the greatest rival to Michael Jordan, but Max Kellerman argues that LeBron James is MJ's biggest rival.
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[cosmicsteel]

This is a bad debate, but MJ's greatest rivals was the Bad Boy Pistons

[jurebaric]

Kobe and Lebron didn’t knock Jordan out of the playoffs 3 times....Detroit Pistons

[jonnydavis]

they confused "rivalry" with "comparison"

[marqueswilliams]

Boy the NBA has been trying to erase the Bad Boys Pistons

[abriepieterse]

This MJ vs Kobe vs Lebron argument is getting quite old to be honest. Was hoping they would discuss contemporary rivals. Payton, Magic, Isaiah, Reggie, etc would be an interesting "MJ vs" topic for a change.

[jonp]

They clearly don’t know what the term “Rival” means 🤦🏾‍♂️

[melbrown]

Do either of these jokers know what the word “rival” means?!

[PaperOnlyGang]

How can LeBron be a rival if he never played against him

[jeanmiess]

Am I living in an alternate dimension where prime Jordan played against prime Kobe and prime Lebron?

[Ash-lfto]

Stephen A: “I never wanna hear Lebron’s name with Michael Jordan again ever”
Also Stephen: “well you think about names like Lebron”
Bruh 🤦🏻

[stephencornelious]

Karl Malone i say. That second 3 peat was tough with Utah. Karl even stole a mvp like year

[spencerbowie]

These clowns answer by saying 2 players that never played Jordan in his prime

[onidtubes]

Lebron? They never even played against each other, stop it.

[Whitey_]

how you gonna say someone is MJ’s rival when they never met in the playoffs? LOL espn has no clue what they’re talking about

[ChrisJProductionz]

His greatest rival was the word “Gambling”

[Princeofluv]

MJ greatest rival wasn’t a player it was a team the pistons made him use everything he had to get passed them

[mistahchau]

Zeke and the pistons are the closes thing MJ had to a rivalry. Drexler and Barkley would be next but playing in the west limited their matchups.

[jonnydavis]

his greatest rival was Dominique, bird, magic, and of course Isiah thomas

[simbabose]

Greatest competing rival : Zeke and the Bad Boys
Greatest Rival to his legacy : no one. MJ basketball legacy is unrivalled.

[RTLife]

Are these guys joking? Bryant & Lebron are the answers - silly talk. The options are only between the top players/teams that challenged Jordan while he was in his prime.