LeBron James drops truth bomb about dominating Michael Jordan-led pickup team aged 16

LeBron James has finally broken the silence regarding his matchup with Michael Jordan as a 16-year-old, which has been kept under wraps for the longest time. There are no clips of that pickup game, and nobody has any idea about the outcome.

However, James uncovered the truth on Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce's podcast "New Heights" during an appearance on the latest episode released Wednesday.

"First of all, MJ Antoine Walker and the rest of those guys did not let young guys get on the court, at all," James said. "And I was 16 years old. I was a sophomore in high school, and it takes a while to get on the court.

"Usually when the older guys, they get tired and they don't want to play no more. ... I was on the court with Michael Jordan, Antoine Walker, Penny Hardaway, Michael Finley." (39:00)

LeBron James made the biggest revelation about that game after one of the Kelce brothers asked who guarded him. James cockily responded with a four-word response, saying:

"Nobody. I was unguardable."

(Podcast transcribed via Spotify)

James said he was nervous but he was itching to get on the court and "bust a**," and he eventually did what he envisioned once he got the chance to be on the court.

Kobe Bryant's ex-teammate once opened up on LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan pick-up game

LeBron James isn't the only one to claim he dominated his pick-up contest against Michael Jordan as a 16-year-old. Many other NBA talents were on that floor that day, including Metta Sandiford-Artest, who was 20 at the time and went on to become a two-time NBA champion as Kobe Bryant's teammate on the LA Lakers in 2009 and 2010.

Here's what Artest said during an appearance on "Podcast P," veteran NBA player Paul George's show in May 2024:

"[LeBron James] was cookin'. Like, he was 15 or 16 postin', getting to the basket, and I'm like 'this is going to be a huge issue,'; you know. And it sure was. Three more years, and he right there. He actually motivated me. When I saw that, it motivated me."

LeBron James and Michael Jordan never got to matchup in the NBA. James entered the year after Jordan called time on his illustrious career in 2003. Nevertheless, it hasn't stopped their fans from comparing the two and engaging in aggressive debates on who the greatest player of all time is.