LeBron is really great, no doubt about that. We’re not even comparing him to current players anymore, it’s already the GOAT discussion with MJ, and that conversation will probably never end unless people decide to stop it. They’re just different players from different eras. Usually, once a GOAT is already established, it’s not easily replaced. It’s the same with Ali in boxing, he’s still considered the GOAT until now.
Because of that, MJ will likely remain the GOAT for many people, even as the game continues to evolve.
I am old enough to remember that people were comparing Kobe and Lebron, because they were playing around the same times, and I was one of those who said Kobe was better. The thing about Lberon is that, nobody has that kind of longevity at that level, it's unheard of and nobody will ever beat it again because even when human body changes and we are building players who are more fit and plays more smart, we still get more injuries due to pace of the game.
So nobody will ever repeat what Lebron did with his longevity. But if we are talking about "best", people are just arguing that prime MJ versus Prime Lebron 1v1, MJ would have field day without a doubt.
And I still insists, for a prime that is just 1-2 season, NOBODY in the world was as good as Shaq, that dude was the best player to ever play this game if we look at just 1-2 season highest peak, but that guy was also a lazy person who just got tired from the style he played, so he didn't really do it for too long at all. So yeah, if we look at career-wise, Lebron is the best, but if we look at primes at the peak level, Lebron is not the best to me.