NBA all-time scoring leader LeBron James has admitted that Ken Griffey Jr. is his favorite MLB player of all time. James is 38 years old, which means he has reached the age of Griffey’s peak. The slugger is a special talent that caught James’ attention.
During a 2020 Instagram Live session, the NBA superstar revealed how he was feeling:
“Favorite MLB player of all time? Come on, man. Ken Griffey Jr.! That kid! Not even a question. No question!”
The Seattle Mariners superstar made his professional debut in 1989, when the Los Angeles Lakers superstar was just five years old. He may not have been watching at the time, but he certainly was in the years to come.
Griffey retired in 2010, James’ first year with the Miami Heat. For most of James’ life, Griffey Jr. was one of the faces of baseball. He will go on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016, which will happen shortly after James retires.
LeBron James loves Ken Griffey Jr.
Few players can claim to have one of the greatest athletes of all time as their supporter. LeBron James is considered the best NBA player of all time, and some would say the same about Ken Griffey Jr.
The fact that arguably the greatest basketball player ever called Griffey his favorite is incredibly high praise. This is not unreasonable. Over his 22-year career, he had 83.8 bWAR.
He has one of the best left-handed swings ever, and he’s parlayed it into a career .284 batting average and 136 OPS+. He hit 630 home runs, becoming one of a handful of members of this exclusive club.
Griffey is one of the best players to ever swing a bat, and he deserves all the praise James has ever given him. The fact that there are those who question that is disappointing to James because that’s how Griffey performed with the Mariners, Cincinnati Reds, and Chicago White Sox.