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Basically everyone who has watched NBA basketball at any time over the last 30-40 years has an opinion on the LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan GOAT debate. It turns out that includes Vermont Senator and Democratic Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders.
Sanders was asked during an appearance on “The Kyle Kulinski Show” who he’d pick between James and Jordan, and unsurprisingly this is another area where his opinion differs from the current president:
Kulinski: Last question: Michael Jordan or LeBron James?
Sanders: LeBron James.
Kulinski: Is that because of the policy he just supported with you?
Sanders: Well actually, yes, I think LeBron has been willing to do what a lot of athletes are not and get involved in the political process, put money into education, and I respect that.
You can watch the clip here:
.@BernieSanders weighs in on who's the GOAT, Michael Jordan or @KingJames pic.twitter.com/QfNKAnj5LC
— Secular Talk (@KyleKulinski) September 13, 2019
Now I know what you’re thinking: Why should we care about Bernie Sanders’ opinion on the GOAT debate? I’ll tell you why, and it’s because regardless of one’s party affiliation, I think we can all be in bi-partisan agreement that Bernie Sanders is a baller:
Since nobody was doing it, I made @BernieSanders the And1 mixtape he deserves. pic.twitter.com/uIAgASktjs
— Kyle Clauss (@KyleClauss) February 20, 2019
That man is 78 years old and still living out his commitment to the idea that everyone guarding him should have equal access to him absolutely giving them buckets. That’s the walking embodiment of ball is life, and frankly means Sanders has better basketball qualifications than many others who have weighed in on LeBron vs. MJ, if we’re being honest.
We know who James thinks is the GOAT, and now we know what Sanders thinks too. But as for whether or not James is actually better than Jordan, that’s arguably a more hyper-partisan issue on #NBATwitter than actual politics, so we’re unlikely to reach a definitive conclusion anytime soon.
Still, at least one candidate was courageous enough to weigh in on the real hot-button issue this election season, and for that we should be thankful.
For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts. You can follow Harrison on Twitter at @hmfaigen.