Longtime NBA super agent David Falk stirred controversy Tuesday with a pointed comment about LeBron James while discussing Michael Jordan’s legacy at the Sports Business Journal’s 4se conference in Manhattan.
Falk, who famously represented Jordan throughout his Hall of Fame career, questioned James’ path to success in contrast to the six-time NBA champion.
“I really like LeBron,” Falk said, per Marc Bryan-Brown of Sports Business Journal, “but I think if Jordan had cherry-picked what teams he wanted to be on and two other superstars, he would’ve won 15 championships.”
Wearing a pair of Air Jordan 11s, Falk spoke at length about the evolution of NBA power dynamics, the influence of athletes in the modern era, and his views on today’s player empowerment.
He labeled LeBron “probably” a top-10 player of all time but did not place him ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Kobe Bryant in his rankings.
Falk criticized the current generation of stars for managing their careers publicly, contrasting it with the discretion he maintained during his tenure as an agent.
“I made lots of trades, but I would never do it publicly,” he said. “It demeans the game that you’re all making money from.”
He also addressed the financial structure of the league, estimating that nearly 75% of NBA contracts are non-negotiated due to set rookie scales, max deals, and salary exceptions.
Falk used his time on stage to share personal stories from his decades-long relationship with Jordan, including moments of tension.
He recalled confronting Jordan over the infamous Slim Bouler gambling scandal in the early 1990s, believing at the time he might be fired.
Falk said the conversation led to Jordan issuing personal apologies and moving on from the incident.
The former agent’s comments about James come at a time when debates over the greatest player in NBA history continue to dominate the basketball discourse.
