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Spurs Great Bruce Bowen Names Top 5 NBA Players of All Time, and List Excludes LeBron

By Terrell Smith Men's Journal

When it comes to the greatest of all time in basketball, many NBA analysts and fans usually land on one of three names - Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant. Regardless of which of the three fans may choose, at the very least, James is more often than not mentioned in the majority of people's list of top three players of all time, if not ranked number one.

So, call it absolutely shocking that NBA champion and former Spurs player, Bruce Bowen, not only dismissed King James as being the GOAT, but also excluded him from his top five. However, is the reason Bowen gave valid?

Bruce Bown Downgrades LeBron Because "He Left"

Bowen recently stopped by FanDuel's Run It Back series for a panel interview, and co-host Michelle Beadle asked him:

"So 2020, you had a list of best players, so it's been a minute. And I don't know if you've changed your list. Just to go back, top five of all time, MJ, Kobe, Duncan, Russell [Bill Russell], Magic. You've seen five more years of play since then. Are you changing that list at all?"

After Bowen confirmed that his list hasn't changed, co-host Chandler Parsons chimed in with, "Is LeBron not on that list?" Bowen quickly replied, "No, he wasn't." All of the co-hosts, which also included Lou Williams, seemed to laugh in disbelief. However, explaining himself, Bowen countered:

"I will say this, MJ was one who taught a lot of players how to fight through adversity, even when you don't have the same type of talent, and building the talent within who you have. I know people are going to say, ‘Well Scottie [Scottie Pippen] was this and Scottie was that,' I'm not talking about Scottie. I remember when Scottie had the ice pack on his head in Detroit, while Michael was getting pummeled by [inaudible] every time he drove to the basket."

"Now with LeBron, he left Cleveland and got a championship. And I know people are going to say, ‘Yeah, but he got a championship.' But he left, is my whole point. He left when it was adverse. And, not to say that he doesn't deal with adversity, but MJ didn't leave when Scottie was sitting there with that ice pack on his neck. He continued to work hard, he believed in the process, and he weathered the storm."

Is Bruce Bowen Right about LeBron?

With all due respect to Bowen, his three championship rings, and his years of experience as both a player and basketball analyst, he's wrong. Full stop. To say LeBron James is not a top-five player in the history of the NBA sounds absurd. Yes, James did wind up leaving the Cavs to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami to get his first championship rings. But let's not pretend he didn't help bring Cleveland their first ring upon his return. And heck, when the Cavs lost to the Warriors in the 2015 NBA Finals, James won 4 of the 11 votes for Finals MVP. Again, the Cavs lost. A rare feat.

Aside from championships alone, I can highlight James' legendary career numbers. He's made more points than anyone ever in the league, he's 23rd in terms of rebounds, and fourth in terms of assists (and the man is not even technically a guard). Whether you like him or not, James has been one of the best, if not the very best, to ever step on a court.

Related: Two Major Michael Jackson Events Left Out of ‘Michael' Timeline

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Apr 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 1:21 PM.

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