Michael Jordan, the six-time NBA champion often hailed as the greatest basketball player ever, says he doesn’t believe in crowning a Greatest of All Time.
In an interview with Gayle King of “CBS Sunday Morning,” the 63-year-old Jordan rejected the popular GOAT label outright.
“There’s no such thing as G.O.A.T., you know, to me,” Jordan said. “It’s not to me. You know, it’s only because I think, you know, we are transcended from other people, other athletes. We learn from other athletes. We progress the game as we move further. To say that one is better than the other is not really right.”
The comments came during a sit-down at Phoenix Raceway, where Jordan discussed his ownership of the NASCAR team 23XI Racing, which he co-founded in 2020 with driver Denny Hamlin. The conversation also touched on his life after basketball, his “competitive gene” and how he has channeled that drive into motorsports and other pursuits like fishing.
Jordan has long avoided claiming the GOAT mantle, even as fans and analysts pit his 1990s Chicago Bulls dynasty against later stars such as LeBron James. His stance underscores a philosophy that greatness evolves across generations rather than belonging to one player.
Michael Jordan tells @GayleKing that he does not believe in the concept of a GOAT: “There’s no such thing… Not to me.” https://t.co/7k1TknJ6OQ pic.twitter.com/YKhQtfNCXy
— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) March 29, 2026
Despite stepping away from the court, Jordan said he still misses basketball but finds fulfillment elsewhere.
“If it ends today, you know, I will have a smile on my face, 100%,” he told King.
Jordan’s NASCAR venture grew out of a love of cars inherited from his late father, James Jordan, a self-described “diehard mechanic.” He has remained competitive in the sport, filing an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR in 2024 that led to a settlement improving team charters.
The interview aired as the GOAT conversation continues to dominate sports talk, but Jordan made clear his view remains unchanged: No single athlete stands above the rest.
