Ray Allen Says LeBron James Isn’t NBA’s GOAT, He’s Not a Great Shooter, Dribbler

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LeBron James played a key role in Ray Allen winning an NBA championship, but that doesn’t mean Allen views his former Miami Heat teammate as the greatest player of all time.

In a video posted by a high school basketball player on TikTok, Allen explained why he doesn’t consider James to be the GOAT.

“Is he a great free throw shooter?” Allen said to the fan. “Is he a great 3-point shooter? Is he a great dribbler?”

Allen wrapped up his discussion by declaring Michael Jordan to be the NBA’s GOAT.

The debate over Jordan or James as the best player in NBA history has already been ongoing for years, and it will probably continue into perpetuity until the next all-time great comes along.

It’s odd that Allen would base his argument on Jordan being better than James on those three specific questions.

Jordan is inarguably a better free-throw shooter than James (83.5 percent to 73.4 percent), but Jordan was never a consistent three-point shooter in his career (32.7 percent).

You can certainly argue that if Jordan played in today’s era, with a heavy emphasis on three-point shooting, he might have been better. The Chicago Bulls icon did make 40.4 percent of his attempts beyond the arc over three seasons from 1994-97.

James is one of the best ball-handlers and facilitators in NBA history. He doesn’t have the same dribbling ability as, say, Allen Iverson. But how many players do? Few players in league history have the same first-step quickness James did at his peak.

Of course, Allen is very familiar with both players. He played against Jordan and James during his playing career. The Basketball Hall of Famer also spent two seasons playing with James on the Miami Heat from 2012-14.

Allen’s three-pointer with 5.2 seconds remaining in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs tied the score and forced overtime. The Heat went on to win that game and the decisive Game 7 to claim the championship.