Feb 20, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Lebron James and Michael Jordan on court during halftime during the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images David Richard-Imagn Images

GOAT Debate: Michael Jordan Fans Roast LeBron James Roast Over Barbie Doll

Originally posted on Back in the Day NBA on SI
By Shandel Richardson | Last updated Apr 9, 2025 9:44 PM ET

There are several categories used by LeBron James and Michael Jordan fans in the G.O.A.T debate.

There's championships, points, rebounds, triple-doubles. Thirty-point games. MVPs, etc.

And now there are Barbie dolls.

James recently became the first male athlete to have a Barbie "Kenbassador" doll. While James fans were ecstatic, the pro-Jordan crowd used it as another knock against its biggest rival for the crown of greatest player of all time.

One social media user criticized James for representing toy dolls while Jordan is known as the best shoe salesman in sports history.

Jordan made his fans buy Jordan’s.

LeBron makes his groupies buy Barbie’s.

Tells you everything you need to know.
— D (@dan636680) April 9, 2025

The James doll was released Wednesday, but rumblings of it happened went on for a few weeks. He is dressed in a blue letterman jacket with the letters "LJ." Jordan fans were not impressed.

Jordan’s bald ass would never sellout and put himself in a Barbie doll. LeBron is tweaking for that. #NotMyGoat
— thomas (@JusSaiyan) April 9, 2025

Former NBA player Richard Jefferson made social media go nuts when referring to James as Barbie a few times during Thursday's ESPN broadcast of the Los Angeles Lakers game against the Dallas Mavericks. What started as Doncic's return to face his former team, the Mavericks, turned into discussions about the toy doll.

Richard Jefferson keep calling LeBron Barbie lol
— Porter The DJ (@GerryPorter419) April 10, 2025

After James made an assist in the third quarter, Jefferson referred to James as "LeBarbie."

Watching a generational Luka revenge game and Richard Jefferson talking bout LeBarbie pic.twitter.com/TtNxOjHy7m
— Bread ☄️ (@loaf_breadd) April 10, 2025

It should be noted Jefferson was merely poking fun at his former teammate. Jefferson won a championship with James when they were played with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. James led the Cavs from a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors, who entered with an NBA-record 73 wins.

This article first appeared on Back in the Day NBA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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