"Gonna force him to say LeBron is the GOAT" - NBA fans react to Michael Jordan's AI claiming 62-year-old Bulls GOAT could defeat Lakers star

In a move that will undoubtedly spark discussions and conversations throughout the basketball community, a Michael Jordan AI has said that the 90s Bulls could beat LeBron James' Lakers.

On Friday, 'NBA Central' posted on X a link to an app called 'Cantina,' that allows users to talk to AI versions of NBA players.

Attached to the post was a screenshot of a conversation with a Michael Jordan AI, where the Hall of Famer's AI counterpart was asked if he and the 90s Bulls could beat LeBron James and the Lakers.

In response, Jordan said 'yes,' by two or three points. When the user asked why the game would be so close, Jordan said, because most of the players on the 90s Bulls are over 60 now.

Jordan's responses come directly from a longstanding apocryphal story about Michael Jordan. In it, he supposedly replied to a reporter who asked whether the 90s Bulls could beat LeBron's Cleveland Cavaliers, to which he allegedly replied, "By two or three points, most of us are 60 by now."

To date, no credible news outlet has reported the story, however, it has continued to circulate on social media over the years.

In response to the screenshot, fans were quick to weigh in, with some mixed reactions:

"I'm gonna force him to say LeBron is the goat," - One wrote.

Others took the opportunity to crack jokes about the recent return of 'NBA Centel' earlier in the week:

"Old joke. Corny af. We ain’t clicking that link big dawg And oh, this is why @TheNBACentel clears you man," - Another added.

"How this not centel," - One wrote.

"Centel would never" - Another replied.

"If you ask 20 years from now, I'm pretty sure LeBron may beat me" - The time Michael Jordan spoke about LeBron James surpassing him

Throughout his career, Michael Jordan has repeatedly distanced himself from conversations about who the greatest basketball player of all time is. During his career, Jordan said that he felt it was disrespectful to players who came before him to call himself the GOAT.

Despite that, the conversation has continued to be a major talking point throughout the NBA community, with various TV show panels, podcast hosts and social media users all weighing in.

During a candid two-part interview with Cigar Aficionado in 2017, Jordan sat down with Marvin Shanken to discuss a wide range of topics, including his career. The two enjoyed some 1993 Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona cigars, the same kind Jordan would smoke on his way to games at Chicago stadium starting in '93.

During the interview, MJ was asked about winning the 2015 Harris Poll for most popular athlete in history, beating out athletes like Babe Ruth (No. 2) and Muhammad Ali (No. 3).

In response, Michael Jordan said:

"That’s one thing my parents taught me very well. Don’t rub success in people’s faces. So when you sit there and you say I was voted the most popular athlete, it’s ironic that I’m the youngest of the three.

"So, in essence, it’s all related to who is watching now. If you ask 20 years from now, I’m pretty sure LeBron (James) may beat me. If you ask me, I can never give you an opinion about things like that."

While it may not be his take on the GOAT debate, the quote seems to suggest that Jordan doesn't put too much stock into comparing himself with modern athletes now that he's retired.