A recent NBA player poll conducted by The Athletic asked 142 players to vote on who they consider to be the greatest basketball player of all time. Michael Jordan and LeBron James emerged as the top contenders, with Jordan receiving 45.9% of the votes and James receiving 42.1%. This marks the first time in the poll’s history that Jordan’s lead over James has narrowed significantly. The poll began in 2019, with Jordan initially receiving 73% of the votes to James’ 11.9%. The gap widened in 2023, with Jordan receiving 58.3% of the votes to James’ 33%.