"If Kyrie Was 2 Inches Taller": LeBron James' Ex-Teammate Makes Massive GOAT Debate Claim

The 'Greatest Of All Time' conversation in the NBA has been dominated by two players: LeBron James and Michael Jordan. It is quite rare for another player to be seriously considered as the GOAT when this particular debate pops up.

Yet, Tristan Thompson, a former teammate of James, thinks someone could be taken seriously in this conversation. That player is Kyrie Irving, who, according to the former Cavs center on 'Club Shay Shay,' is two inches shy of being the greatest player ever.

"If Kyrie was two inches taller, he'd be the best player to ever touch a basketball on planet earth," Thompson said.

Shannon Sharpe, the show's host, was in disbelief at the statement.

"First of all, have you ever seen Kyrie get a shot blocked?" Thompson asked before answering his own query by saying, "never."

"And he's only what? 6'2", 6'3"? Imagine if he was 6'5" what he could do right now, " Thompson continued.

He also stated that there were no flaws in Irving's game and that he was capable of nearly anything on the court.

The two then started talking about Irving's game with enthusiasm. Sharpe pointed out that he could score from anywhere and had the best finishing ability at the rim.

The pair also began citing specific examples, such as his game-winner over Klay Thompson during the Cleveland Cavaliers-Golden State Warriors Christmas Day Game in 2016.

Irving certainly stands out as one of the most elite offensive players to ever play in the NBA.

His handles allow him to create space against even some of the toughest defenders. Once he's confused his defenders and created the space he needs, he has the shooting touch to drain even the toughest jumpers.

If he does decide to take it to the basket, he can throw off defenses with an array of acrobatic finishing moves.

During a one-on-one situation, guarding him becomes a nightmare. If the defense chooses to double him, he also has the creativity and the vision to set up his teammates.

Despite his talents, he has not reached the same level of individual achievement as LeBron James.

Comparing Kyrie Irving's Achievements to LeBron James's

While there's no denying that Kyrie Irving is one of the greatest offensive talents ever, his resume is considerably shorter than LeBron James's.

James has four MVP awards under his belt. Irving hasn't even been a finalist for the award yet.

Irving has been named to three All-NBA teams so far, but never to the first team. James, on the other hand, has 13 All-NBA first-teams, and four each of second and third team selections.

There's no denying that Irving is an elite scorer and playmaker. However, he's never led the league in either category. James was the league's scoring champion in 2007-08 (30.0 points) and the assists leader in 2019-20 (10.2).

There's also the matter of championships. James already has four, one of which he won with Irving's help (2016). That title remains the only one in Irving's resume.

If one were to look past the accolades, trophies, and awards, though, it'll be easy to see that Irving was one of the most uncontainable offensive talents ever.