As LeBron James approaches the end of his NBA career, he has limited time to bolster his case as basketball's GOAT above Michael Jordan.
While that debate might never be settled, James, in a wide-ranging series of interviews with ESPN conducted during the season, acknowledged the influence Jordan had on him.
"I hope I made him proud at least, wearing that No. 23," James told ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
The 6-foot-9, 250-pound James pointed out the inherent differences between him and Jordan, who was listed at 6-6 and 200 pounds in his playing days.
"I never have compared myself to MJ because our games are totally different," James said. "I have been a point-forward/forward-point my whole life. I have always looked for the pass. MJ kind of looked for the shot. Not kind of, he did. He looked for the shot.
"There are a lot of things where I would say my game is a lot different and a little better than his, but s---, he was f---ing great. We're both great. We're both great basketball players."
There are aspects of Jordan's game that James openly admires.
"There are a lot of things that MJ did better than I do," James said, "and I think there are some things that I do better than him. That's just how the game goes. There's a lot of things that I can say in particular. You already know how this conversation is going to be [misinterpreted] by people, man.
"I think I am one of one. I think the way I play the game, I am a one-of-one player. And MJ, as well. A f---ing unbelievable basketball player. I think his midrange jump shot was unbelievable. He did so many things great. I grew up f---ing analyzing everything that he did, how he could get to his spot and rise up above everybody. Obviously, his post game was elite. His will to win. I think that is a trait that we all know and that we all wanted to be like. His determination to win."
James called the whole GOAT topic a "very tiring conversation" and "barbershop talk."
"You can look at both of us and say that you love both of us without trying to s--- on the other person. And usually, it's s---ting on me," James said. "But I know for sure that I've done my part in this journey."
James said the former Chicago Bulls guard inspired him when he was growing up in Akron, Ohio.
"I never thought that I could be him, but I dreamed of the opportunity to live in the shoes that he lived in," James said. "I dreamed of being able to be in a big game and hit a game winner as the clock went down. I dreamed of having my own sneaker. I dreamed of flying through the air like him. I dreamed of people screaming my name. Everything that he did. I needed inspiration from certain people in music and in sports during my upbringing. I needed that."
James, 41, also addressed his 4-6 record in the NBA Finals, which is held against him by fans who point to Jordan's 6-0 mark in the championship round.
"When I was younger, I used to have the notion of like, people were getting on me for losing in the Finals, and when I was younger, I used to listen to it," James said. "Like, people will really rather you not make the playoffs or lose in the first round than to lose in the Finals, which is crazy to me. And I almost feel like, is it because it's me? Everybody has to say something about my career: 'Oh, well, he made eight straight Finals, but he was only able to win three.' 'He's the leading scorer in NBA history, but he's played 23 years.'
"Yeah, but I am also fastest to 1,000 [points]. Fastest to 2,000. Fastest to 5,000. Fastest to 10,000. So when I started realizing it was just a knock on me, I started to appreciate it a little bit more. Like, I am pissed off that I didn't have a better winning percentage individually in the Finals, but for people to try to turn it into a negative, it doesn't bother me like it did when I was younger."