the NBA for another sport? How do you label someone that left basketball, the GOAT of basketball?

I lived through MJs prime and am seeing Lebron's prime. They are two different players in two very different eras of basketball, so the comparisons are nearly impossible.

MJ brought the NBA out of obscurity and into a world famous league. The reason that the Pau Gasols, Toni Parkers, Manu Ginobilli, and Kristop Porzigas of the world can play in the NBA is largely due to MJ bursting onto the world scene through Nike and Gatorade.

NOTHING like that will ever happen again, ever.

Lebron plays in an era where Free Agency reigns and teams NEED to put 3-4 All Stars on a team to compete. If MJ played in today's league and grew up in the same "pop-warner" basketball, he would be no different.

That being said, if LJ grew up in the culture of the early 80s then he would most likely have been more of the mindset of MJ, Magic, and Bird.

They are products of their environments and the comparisons are just not possible, regardless of who you believe is the GOAT. But I do have a hard time labeling MJ the face of basketball, the GOAT of basketball, etc. when he completely turned his back on the game and walked away. Only to come crawling back from a miserable couple years in baseball.

That is something LJ will never do.