LeBron James surprised many around the NBA world when he revealed he’s on good terms with Michael Jordan, but the Chicago Bulls icon wouldn’t talk to him. During his tell-all interview on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday, James said Jordan wouldn’t probably talk to him until he retires.
“Me and Michael? We’re in a good spot,” James said. “We don’t talk. Because I’m still playing, I’m still focused on my craft right now… I would hope (that our relationship will improve once LeBron retires).”
While fans were surprised, some analysts blamed James for pushing Jordan away.
Back in 2022, as part of Jackie McMullan’s “Icons Club” podcast series, Jordan detailed the differences in his relationships with James and another NBA legend, the late Kobe Bryant.
Jordan said he offered to help James, but he didn’t call as many times as Bryant, which didn’t help them develop the same relationship he had with the Los Angeles Lakers icon.
“(I said) ‘If you ever need anything, here’s my number, you can give me a call,'” Jordan said. “To his credit, he’s never called. I mean, he may have called a couple of times, but nothing to the magnitude of Kobe.”
“If he’s gonna call somebody, he should all Magic Johnson. His basketball talent is more Magic Johnson than Michael Jordan.”
Months prior to that interview, Jordan and James looked cordial towards one another during the All-Star Game hosted in Cleveland. The NBA celebrated the 75 best players in history, which obviously included this legendary pair.
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It’s unclear if they contacted each other after that moment, but James’ words made it seem like that wasn’t the case.