Michael Jordan says he could beat LeBron James 1-on-1 in his prime

It's the impossible matchup we'd all give anything to see. Michael Jordan said he would beat LeBron James in a game of one-on-one. He gave Kobe a shot, though.

By Michael Jones Oct 1, 2013, 8:38pm EDT

Michael Jordan has never lacked confidence in his basketball abilities; he reinforced as much on Tuesday when he said he could have defeated Miami Heat superstar LeBron James in a game of one-on-one when he was in his prime.

In a video promoting the release of the NBA 2K14 video game on Tuesday, Jordan explained his reasoning:

"I don't think I would lose," Jordan, 50, says in the video, before smiling and adding, "other than to Kobe Bryant, because he steals all of my moves."

It's all fodder for the ageless debate of which player should be considered the greatest to ever play in the NBA. James, like Bryant, is constantly measured against Jordan, who finished his storied career with six NBA championships, five league MVP awards, 10 scoring titles and 14 All-Star appearances.

Speaking of Kobe Bryant, the five-time champion weighted in on the matter in the most apropos way possible for the NBA's reigning king of social media -- via Twitter:

Domino effect. I stole some of his..this generation stole some of mine #thecycle
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) October 1, 2013

Much like Jordan, the Black Mamba won't concede or give in to the notion that anyone can beat him at what he does best. Even James responded, though he didn't say much to make his case one way or another:

"MJ said that? I've thought about the matchup, but no one will ever see it and it's not going to happen," James said Tuesday after the Miami Heat's training camp practice in Nassau, Bahamas. "It's good for people to talk about."

It is good for hoops fans to talk about, and they'll continue to do so forever. Without the ability to re-create it outside of the digital world, it's statements like these that continue to drive the debate.

Jordan spoke about a number of interesting topics during the interview, including the old school style of play in the Jordan era versus today's game. He also got in a reference to twerking.

In other words, it's worth watching, so here it is in its entirety from 2K Sports: