That’s high praise coming from Johnson, 57, who played as a point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers for 13 seasons. During his pro career, he was a five-time NBA champion and was also named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player three times.
The remarks come as James recently spoke about his retirement plans. His dream? To own an NBA team. “I will own a team someday,” he says in an interview with The Athletic. “That’s my next thing.”
His success on the court has set him up for his post-NBA plans nicely. In fact, the star has an estimated net worth of $275 million, according to Forbes.
But he isn’t going anywhere quite yet. In an ESPN interview last year, James says he plans to play until his late 30s. Given that he’s currently 32, it seems like he has at least four more years.
“Before he’s done, he can be the greatest” who’s ever played, says Johnson. “We’ll see what happens and how many more championships he’s able to win.”