Magic Johnson memo to LeBron James: Count the rings.
During an interview with FoxSports.com, the Miami Heat star, who is currently recognized as the best basketball player on the planet, was asked his top three NBA players of all-time.
"Oh my God, three? Larry Bird, Dr. J, Michael Jordan," James told Fox Sports.
As USA TODAY Sports reported, the name that was conspicuously absent from James' list was Los Angeles Lakers star Earvin "Magic" Johnson.
James wisely asked for a fourth pick during the interview, in which he then rattled off the name of Johnson, whose game to which most analysts compare James' game.
The initial omission drew a couple of responses on Twitter from Magic himself.
Johnson's first tweet was diplomatic enough:
"Lebron is entitled to his opinion, but I still think that he and I have a similar game and that's why I LOVE to watch him play!"
But then, Johnson couldn't resist pushing the envelope just a bit. His subsequent tweet:
"NBA Championship rings are all that matter; Jordan 6, Me 5, Bird 3, LeBron 2 and Dr. J 1."
As SI.com pointed out, not only did Johnson also single out Dr. J, aka, Julius Erving, but he also omitted former teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who also has six NBA titles.
The problem for James is that he still hasn't refined his interview skills. He still is trying to live down his infamous "Decision" debacle, an hour-long television event on ESPN when he became a free agent.
James, who had played his first seven seasons with his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers, became a free agent in the summer of 2010 and then announced that he was leaving the Cavs to sign with the Heat.
Perhaps, when James has five or six rings, he'll achieve the proper interview diplomacy.
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