Hours after comparisons to Michael Jordan and Tom Brady, LeBron James praises 34-year-old NBA veteran as ‘the one and only’

The NBA, like other sports leagues around the world, is a cutthroat and highly competitive league filled with elite athletes. The world is watching and the stars are under unprecedented pressure, everyone wants to win and have a chance at the coveted NBA championship. Despite the immense pressure the world faces, there are still players who put sportsmanship over winning results. One of them happens to be an NBA veteran who was recently praised by LeBron James.

During a podcast, Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen was asked to name the nicest person he has ever worked with. The 26-year-old didn’t hesitate to mention the name of an NBA veteran who has recently compared himself to some GOATs, not just in basketball, but in football as well. LeBron agrees.

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Mike Conley has played in the NBA for 17 seasons. Although Conley didn’t receive any major honors, there’s something unique about his name. The 34-year-old is a four-time winner of the NBA Sportsmanship Award. In a recent video Conley uploaded on Instagram, Markkanen expressed his thoughts about his former teammate.

The Finnish star said Conley is the best teammate he has ever had. Interestingly, the man himself had something to say about it.

“A lot of people know me as the only guy to win the NBA Sportsmanship Award four times, Teammate of the Year multiple times. That’s what I do. What does Bill Russell have, 10 rings? Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, but how many people win four sportsmanship awards?”

Conley asked.

LeBron James seems to agree with Markkanen. The four-time NBA champion shared Conley’s highlight reel on his Instagram Story, writing: “The first and only good guy to win first place!” It wasn’t James who won the award in the past, but Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry. Curry won the Sportsmanship Award in the 2010-11 season.

Donovan Mitchell disagrees with Conley

Mike Conley will certainly go down in NBA history for his unique and outstanding performance. While James and Markkanen seem to agree that he’s the best teammate ever, Donovan Mitchell feels differently.

The Cleveland Cavaliers star wrote, “Wait until they find out you’re cursing at kids in the game.”, under Conley’s comments section. Conley and Mitchell spent three seasons with the Jazz. However, the 34-year-old veteran did not win the award while playing alongside Mitchell.

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