Knicks' John Starks: Why LeBron James is 'Hurting His Legacy'

Former New York Knicks star John Starks weighed in on another "then vs. now" debate, namely the ongoing "GOAT" discussion starring Michael Jordan and LeBron James.

John Starks believes that wearing many crowns will leave a negative impact on King James' NBA career.

Having previously commented on the idea of Draymond Green invading his 1990s dominion, the former New York Knicks star also weighed on basketball's most prominent "then vs. now" argument, namely the conversation that pits LeBron James against Michael Jordan for the title of "greatest of all time." Starks strongly hinted that his preference lies with former foe Jordan in a discussion with Bally Sports' Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, claiming that James' relatively frequent changes of address negatively impact his otherwise lauded career and legacy.

“LeBron is hurting his legacy by switching NBA teams so much that it will affect his standing when it comes to LeBron vs. Jordan debates," Starks said. "Mike didn’t move around, didn’t want to move around. He wanted to play against the best. He felt like he didn’t need to go chase players to join his team to beat the best because he felt like he was the best, and I think that’s the difference. 

Kirby Lee, USA TODAY SPORTS

"I think that’s probably going to hurt LeBron when you look at it in that perspective against Michael, (Larry) Bird, and Magic (Johnson). Those guys stayed with one team and they won with that team.”

James is currently stationed with the Los Angeles Lakers for his 21st NBA season. The Lakers are his third NBA team but James has switched teams four times, the most notable move being his highly publicized transfer from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Miami Heat during the summer of 2010. James went back to the Cavs, his original NBA employers, in 2014 and spent four seasons with his hometown team before ending up in his current purple-and-gold settings.

Despite success in Los Angeles, where he earned a fourth NBA Finals in 2020 and set the Association's all-time scoring record last season, James' future has remained a topic of conversation, with some theorizing that another move could be on the way. The Knicks, of course, have lingered in these conversations thanks to factors like James' publicized love of playing at Madison Square Garden.

In either case, James' constant coming and going is a stark contrast to Jordan's 13 seasons (1984-93, 1995-98) with the Chicago Bulls before two comeback years with the Washington Wizards. The other players that Starks listed, Johnson and Bird, spent their entire tenures with the Lakers and Boston Celtics respectively.

Starks certainly knows the trials of the well-traveled: the 1994 All-Star built a lengthy career for himself after entering the Association as an undrafted free agent. He is best known for his time with the Knicks (1990-98) but also spent time in Golden State (1988-89, 1999-2000), Chicago (2000), and Utah (2000-02).