Fu Paul responds to Jordan's former agent: The price of the 15-crown remarks in the group is dropped Some people make a living by criticizing James

On May 25, Beijing time, the NBA all-time best (GOAT) battle broke out again, this time triggered by a remark from Jordan's former agent David Falke, while James's long-term agent Rich Paul (Fu Paul) responded with full firepower.

While attending a recent Sports Business Journal conference, Falke reignited the classic debate over Jordan vs LeBron. He said Jordan could have won 15 championships if he had "handpicked" the team and teamed up with two other superstars to win the championship as James did in his career.

Falck, who single-handedly built Jordan's career during the Bulls dynasty, listed Jordan as the first person in history in his heart, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Kobe Bryant ranked second. When asked if James was on his all-time top 10 list, Falke replied, "Probably. ”

The ironic remarks did not escape the attention of Rich Paul, the central figure in James' business empire. Paul was quick to respond in his latest interview, calling Falck's views "somewhat underpriced and hypocritical."

"When it comes to the 'hand-picked' term, it's ridiculous that it's this guy who got superstars to join his business with the support of John Thompson, Dean Smith and Mike Šaszewski. I think he's the one who has been 'hand-picked'. In any way, I think this kind of rhetoric is a bit of a bargain. ”

"We can't engage in historical revisionism, where everybody wants to judge who's the GOAT, who's the best, and so on. But I really think it's a bit of a misappropriation for him to say that. ”

"Look at the so-called 'hand-picked', which I've talked about before. On the 'other two superstars' – Jordan has never been forced to leave his parent team, never been an underdog in any of the Finals, not once. ”

"There was no 24-hour, year-round news cycle when Jordan played, and there was no show dedicated to criticizing him. People made a lot of money by criticizing James, and it even became their full-time job. When it comes to the difficulty of everything, Jordan has Dean Smith (college coach), Phil Jackson (NBA coach), and Jerry Krause (Bulls general manager) to escort him. ”

"I'm a huge fan of Michael Jordan, I love Michael Jordan, and I don't think Michael Jordan himself would use the word 'handpicked'. I'm not here to disparage Michael Jordan, who has elevated the game of basketball to a height that benefits all. ”

Indeed, while Jordan spent most of his career with the Bulls, surrounded by Hall of Fame teammates like Pippen, coached by Phil Jackson and managed by Jerry Kraus, James has made his own legend on multiple teams.

American media said that from dragging the star-studded Cavaliers to the 2007 Finals, to building a super team in Miami, to bringing a historic championship to Cleveland in 2016, James' career has always been accompanied by self-reinvention and risk.

The controversy highlights the generational differences in the definition of "greatness": Jordan is praised for his Finals win record and "one man, one city," while James is admired for his ability to adapt across the ages, his style of play that has evolved with the league, and his ability to remain at the top of his game at the age of 40.

In fact, the GOAT battle may never be settled – Jordan and James ruled the league in very different eras. But there's no denying that both have fundamentally changed the trajectory of basketball.

But Rich Paul's vehement defense sends a clear message that James' place in history is not something to be disparaged at will, especially not by someone who has benefited from a player support system that many modern players have had to build themselves.