The debate surrounding the NBA’s greatest player of all-time revolves mostly around two players who displayed greatness in different eras and in different ways.

Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan — and his wagging tongue when he dunked the basketball — form the most iconic player to lace ‘em up, notching six NBA titles and six Finals MVP awards in six NBA Finals, five MVP awards for the regular season, and 14 NBA All-Star appearances. He also won a whopping 10 NBA scoring titles in 15 years, and is the face of and part-owner of the world renowned Jordan Brand.

Meanwhile, Lakers superstar LeBron James, playing in his 22nd season at the ripe age of 40, has four NBA titles with four NBA Finals MVP awards in 10 tries, four regular season MVP trophies, 20 NBA All-Star appearances, and he’s the league’s all-time leading scorer.

Despite his age, James is averaging 24 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 8.9 assists through 32 games this year — elite numbers for a player of any age.

James has also served as the face of the NBA and Nike for two decades, and opened the “I Promise School” in his hometown of Akron, Ohio in 2018, to aid in the education of underprivileged youth.

There are plenty of other accolades you can sprinkle on either player’s resume, but those are the most relevant.

Well, not according to Charles Barkley, an NBA legend himself, and one-time close friend of “MJ,” who Barkley battled (and mostly lost to) in the 80s and 90s.

“I think it’s lazy to get into the LeBron and Michael thing because they are both extraordinary, but I’ve never seen a better basketball player than Michael Jordan,” Barkley said on Sunday per NBA Beyond Court. “…Because I don’t even put LeBron above Kobe. The difference is LeBron is a nice guy. Nobody ever said that (expletive) about Michael and Kobe. They are like,’ Yo man, these dudes are out here trying to kill people.’

“… Michael and Kobe, they are mean guys. They’re going to kick your (expletive) and tell you about it the whole time. LeBron is a great great player, but he’s a really nice man. That’s the difference.”