NFL legend Tom Brady has sparked a heated debate in the sports world after revealing his personal Mount Rushmore of GOATs—and notably excluding LeBron James. While Brady’s list featured Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Shohei Ohtani, the omission of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer left fans stunned.
During a recent Bleacher Report interview, Brady was asked to name his greatest athletes of all time. His selections included Jordan, Bryant, Woods, McIlroy, Ohtani, Barry Bonds, Michael Phelps, Michael Johnson, A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, and Angel Reese. While his choices reflected a mix of basketball, golf, baseball, swimming, and track, the absence of LeBron James—a four-time NBA champion and four-time MVP—immediately caught attention.
Brady explained his admiration for Jordan, saying,
“Michael Jordan. He was my childhood idol. He was unbelievable. Obviously, I loved Kobe Bryant. I still love Kobe Bryant.”
Tom Brady stirs things up by dropping his Mount Rushmore of GOATs leaving LeBron James off his list 🤔
Bronsexuals are in shambles after finding out that Tom Brady named Angel Reese over Bron on his Mount Rushmore of GOATs. 😤🤣 pic.twitter.com/LblhBt3Wws
— NBA Strife ツ (@strifeomg) June 6, 2025
However, he did not mention LeBron at any point in his response.
The omission of James led to swift backlash from NBA fans, with many questioning Brady’s criteria. Some argued that his list was nostalgia-driven, favoring athletes from his childhood rather than an objective ranking of greatness. Others pointed out that including Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese—rising stars in women’s basketball—while leaving out LeBron seemed questionable.
One fan commented, “Tom Brady putting Caitlin and Angel on his Mount Rushmore but not LeBron is the most dadcore thing I’ve ever seen.” Another wrote, “Lol, pathetic.”
Despite the omission, Brady and LeBron have shared mutual respect over the years. They have publicly congratulated each other on career milestones and even appeared together at events.
While Brady’s list is his personal opinion, the debate over LeBron’s place in sports history continues. As James enters the final years of his career, his legacy remains one of the most discussed topics in basketball.
