Fans Sound Off on Ken Jennings' Pick for Greatest NBA Player

Ken Jennings is sparking a debate among basketball fans after revealing his pick for the greatest NBA player of all time.

In a clip shared on the “Jeopardy” Instagram page, the game show host, 52, surprised the audience with his pick for the best player.

“Greatest basketball player of all time? See, in L.A., everyone wants me to say Kobe, and I don't think it's Kobe,” he said, referring to late Lakers star Kobe Bryant, who died along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people in a helicopter accident in Calabasas, Calif. In January 2020.

After his response caused a stir in the audience, he finally revealed his pick: Michael Jordan.

As fans may know, Jordan won six NBA championships, five regular-season MVPs, and still holds the highest scoring average in the league’s history.

“I'm going to say Jordan, not LeBron,” he said, referring to the Lakers forward. “I don't know. It might just be generational, you know? Like it's the age that when you watch the most games … if I was 20 years older, I'd probably say, like, ‘It's Bill Russell! It's Oscar Robinson! It's not Michael Jordan!' I think it's Jordan.”

Fans took to the comment section to sound off on his pick.

“Maybe it is generational, but it’s MJ and it’s not even close,” one fan shared and another added, “Correct answer, Ken. 👍🏻”

“It must be true since you're the greatest Jeopardy player,” another message wrote, referring to Jennings. Another fan also praised the host, sharing, “It is 100% Michael Jordan. The GOAT knows the GOAT!”

However, not all fans felt the same with one person posting, “Larry Bird is my GOAT.”

“If winning is the point, NO ONE has won more championships than Bill Russell, the true GOAT,” another fan shared.

“Jeopardy” airs daily. Check local listings.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 4:45 PM.