Jordan vs. LeBron? It depends on which Nance you ask

Father and son, former and current members of Cavaliers, debating over the GOAT as they take in "The Last Dance."

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Like nearly everyone in the entire NBA-loving nation, there's a debate going on within the Nance family.

The topic: The greatest of all time.

Former Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Sr. is taking Michael Jordan.

Current Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. is going with LeBron James.

Nance Sr. had many battles against Jordan. Nance Jr. has played with James.

Nance Sr. represents so many who actually saw Jordan play, night after thankless night. At least, it must have felt that way for Cleveland and other Chicago Bulls opponent in the late 1980s and early '90s.

Nance Jr. is now getting to see a lot more of Jordan -- courtesy of the wildly popular ESPN documentary, "The Last Dance." 

Nance Jr. is sticking with LeBron, anyway.

I've been watching it religiously like everybody else. And 

"I've been watching it religiously like everybody else," Nance Jr. said during a Zoom call with reporters Tuesday. "I've gotten a unique perspective on it because I've been watching it with my dad."

Nance Sr. moved to Bath, Ohio, outside of Akron, when he played with the Cavs, starting in 1998 until his retirement in 1994.

During that time, the Cavs lost to Jordan and the Bulls four times in the playoffs. One of those was courtesy of The Shot series in 1989. Another was when the Cavs reached the Eastern Conference finals in 1992, only to lose in six games.

It may be painful for that version of the Cavs to watch a documentary on Jordan. But the majority of players from that era (and even some from this) will tell you Jordan is the best to ever lace 'em up.

Now, it's clear that Nance Jr. has a great deal of admiration for Jordan. But admiration doesn't necessarily translate to automatically labeling Jordan as the GOAT.

"For me, the greatest player is LeBron. For him, the greatest player is Michael,"c Nance Jr. said. "It's almost like a TV show in my head -- the new generation vs. the old."

Nance Jr. played his high school ball at Revere. Like LeBron, he is a native of Akron. Like Nance Sr., Nance Jr. wasn't exactly a five-star recruit coming out of high school. Nance Jr. ended up at the University of Wyoming. The Los Angeles Lakers likely surprised even Nance Jr. himself when they made him a first-round pick in 2015.

And like Nance Sr., Nance Jr. is considered a bit of a late-bloomer. Both were pros before playing with the Cavs, but they truly blossomed in Cleveland -- especially the younger Nance.

Some of that has to do with being surrounded by greatness. Nance Sr. had Jordan. Nance Jr. has James.

Again, their debate is no different than the conversations that are taking place among fans everywhere. You can generally tell how old a person is simply by hearing who they choose -- Michael, or LeBron.

Like everywhere else, there doesn't seem to be a right answer in the Nance household. It's more like agreeing to disagree, and holding firm in what you believe.

"While it's been about MJ, we've been comparing and contrasting eras," Nance Jr. said. "The show is Sunday, but the conversation lasts all week."