The debate over basketball’s greatest player of all time has followed LeBron James through four franchises and 24 NBA seasons, and it isn’t going anywhere now that he’s a Philadelphia 76er. Hall of Famer Ray Allen, who played alongside James and against Michael Jordan during his 18-year career, has made clear in recent years that his vote still belongs to Jordan.

James signed a two-year, $8 million contract with Philadelphia in July, ending his eight-season run with the Los Angeles Lakers and setting up what he has called his “last decision” as a player. The move reunites him with Joel Embiid, his teammate on the United States’ gold medal-winning 2024 Olympic team, and pairs him with All-Star wing Jaylen Brown, whom the 76ers acquired from Boston in a blockbuster trade. Philadelphia also completed a separate trade sending rookie forward-center Johni Broome to the Los Angeles Clippers to clear salary-cap room for James and veteran guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Allen’s long-standing position on Jordan

Allen, who won two NBA championships and is best remembered for his game-tying 3-pointer in Game 6 of the 2013 Finals as James’ teammate on the Miami Heat, has repeatedly and consistently sided with Jordan in the sport’s defining debate. In an interview with Dan Patrick, Allen offered a direct comparison of the two stars.

“I think [James] certainly, just off the cuff, he’s certainly in the top five of all time. But playing against him and MJ, I think for me it’s MJ all day long,” Allen said. “MJ just had everything, from mid-range to 3-point to post-up game, and he could score and dominate in each position.”

Allen expanded on that assessment in a separate conversation with CBS Sports, crediting Jordan not just for his on-court dominance but for the way he transformed the league commercially.

“In my opinion, M.J. is the GOAT,” Allen said. “LeBron is a product of M.J., so a lot of what’s in LeBron — in his DNA — comes from Michael. For anybody that says that LeBron is the GOAT, they’re growing up in today’s era.”

He continued: “They believe what they believe based on how it feels and what he means to them, and that’s OK. But the way MJ affected the game, man, he had a stranglehold on the league and he struck fear in everyone because he was an unstoppable player.”

A viral moment with young fans

Allen’s most widely circulated comments on the topic came not from a formal interview but from a video that spread across social media, showing him debating the question with a group of young basketball players. When one fan argued in James’ favor, describing him simply as someone who “can score and pass it,” Allen responded with a rapid-fire challenge to the logic.

“Is he a great free throw shooter? Is he a great 3-point shooter? Is he a great dribbler?” Allen asked. After the fans acknowledged James doesn’t lead the league in any of those specific categories, Allen pressed the point further: “So you’re saying he’s the GOAT when he ain’t even great in all them categories?” He closed the exchange by naming his pick outright: Jordan.

The moment drew criticism from some fans and analysts, who noted that Jordan himself was never known as an elite 3-point shooter and that James remains one of the most well-rounded players in league history, ranking among the sport’s all-time leaders in scoring, assists and rebounding. Still, Allen has not wavered from his position in subsequent public comments, pointing instead to Jordan’s two-way dominance and cultural impact as the deciding factors.

Why the debate resurfaces now

James enters his 24th NBA season, a league record, as he begins his tenure in Philadelphia. He is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and has appeared in 10 NBA Finals, winning four championships across three franchises — Miami, Cleveland and Los Angeles. Should he add a title with the 76ers, he would become the first player in league history to win a championship with three different teams, a milestone that supporters argue would only strengthen his case in the GOAT conversation.

Jordan, by comparison, played 15 seasons and won all six of his NBA Finals appearances with the Chicago Bulls, along with five MVP awards to James’ four. Jordan also won Defensive Player of the Year in 1988 and led the league in steals three times, statistics Allen and other Jordan supporters frequently cite as evidence of his more complete two-way game.

James’ arrival in Philadelphia has been framed by the 76ers organization and by James himself as a final opportunity to add to that championship résumé. In announcing the move, James described it as a chance to “energize a new fan base” after strongly considering retirement following the end of his 23rd season with the Lakers.

“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,” James wrote in a social media post announcing his decision in July.

A debate without an ending

The Jordan-James argument has become one of the most enduring conversations in American sports, and Allen is far from alone among former players in weighing in. Hall of Famer Allen Iverson, who faced both stars in their primes, has offered a different view, calling James “the best overall basketball player that we’ll ever see.” Former teammate Dwyane Wade has similarly stopped short of crowning either man outright, noting that the debate often comes down to generational loyalty more than statistical analysis.

For Allen, though, the answer has remained consistent across multiple interviews spanning several years: Jordan’s all-around dominance, defensive impact and outsized influence on the sport’s global growth outweigh James’ record-setting longevity and statistical accumulation. Whether a potential championship run in Philadelphia changes that calculus for Allen, or for the wider public, is likely to remain a live question throughout James’ 24th season.

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Apple Inc. lost an early round in a discrimination lawsuit brought in the U.S. by a female engineer from India who says her two managers — one from her country, the other from Pakistan — treated her as they would in their own countries: as a subservient.

The woman’s case in California state court is the latest to allege workplace bias in Silicon Valley that focuses on cultural prejudices of some tech workers from South Asia. Cisco Systems Inc. is fighting a suit brought by California’s civil rights agency alleging bias against a member of India’s so-called lower castes, known as Dalits.

Anita Nariani Schulze is part of the Sindhi minority — she is Hindu, with ancestry in the Sindh region of what is now Pakistan. Her complaint alleges that her senior and direct managers, both male, consistently excluded her from meetings while inviting her male counterparts, criticized her, micromanaged her work, and deprived her of bonuses, despite positive performance evaluations and significant team contributions.

Schulze claims the managers’ animus reflects sexism, racism, religious bias and discrimination on the basis of national origin. The Sindhi Hindu nationality is “known for its technical acumen” and its gender equality, she says, which “exacerbated the managers’ discriminatory treatment.”

In a tentative ruling on Wednesday, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Sunil R. Kulkarni rejected Apple’s request to toss out the suit. While not ruling on the merits of the case, Kulkarni said Schulze had adequately supported her legal claims. Apple had argued her claims weren’t specific enough and were based on stereotypes.

But the judge rejected Schulze’s request to represent a class of female Apple employees who suffered job discrimination over the last four years. He agreed with Apple that she didn’t show a pattern of discrimination that could be applied to a broader group.

It wasn’t clear from the court’s docket whether the judge will hold a hearing Thursday before issuing a final ruling.

Apple didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.

In the Cisco case, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing alleged that two Indian employees at the San Jose-based company discriminated against a Dalit co-worker on the basis of caste.

Cisco has denied the claims, insisting it has “zero tolerance for discrimination.” It also said the lawsuit should be tossed out because caste isn’t a protected category under U.S. civil rights law.

Caitlin Clark’s influence on women’s basketball drew another high-profile comparison this week, as sports media personality Colin Cowherd argued the Indiana Fever guard carries traits of three of the NBA’s most iconic figures — Michael Jordan, Stephen Curry and Larry Bird — rolled into one player.

Cowherd made the comparison during a conversation with Phoenix Mercury forward Sophie Cunningham on his podcast, framing Clark’s impact less around individual statistics and more around the scale of her effect on the sport.

“Well, I mean, let’s just say this was the NBA and Caitlin Clark came into the league, and I’ve compared her to Michael Jordan, where she literally changed the direction of the league,” Cowherd said. “You would think it would make sense to talk about Michael Jordan then or Caitlin Clark now. You play with the league superstar.”

He went on to break down the comparison piece by piece, tying each NBA legend to a specific aspect of Clark’s game and persona.

“You know what? I’ve said she has a Jordan quality where she literally changes the ratings,” Cowherd said. “She has a Steph Curry quality in that she shoots like we’ve never seen in her sport. She also has a Larry Bird quality, which is she kind of gets pissy, and she’s physical, and she’s pissy, and there’s a Midwest toughness to her. And I think it can rub people, including WNBA rivals, the wrong way.”

Cowherd summarized the comparison directly before turning the question over to Cunningham. “I look at her and I think she’s got Jordan’s ascension, Curry’s game, and Larry Bird’s personality. Am I wrong?”

Cunningham backs the comparison, with a caveat

Cunningham, who has played alongside and against Clark since her rookie season, largely agreed with the framing, though she offered a small correction on the Bird comparison.

“No, I don’t think you are,” Cunningham said. “I think that Larry Bird, honestly, might have a little bit more sass. Caitlin is just her own — her own personality, like, especially off the court. Like, she is strictly basketball. She loves to sit on the couch. She loves to watch TV. She’s very simple.”

Cunningham then pivoted to Clark’s broader effect on the league, crediting her with elevating the visibility of a sport that Cunningham said already had significant talent before Clark’s arrival.

“It’s been a blessing that she has been in our league,” Cunningham said. “I think the talent has always been there in our league, but just, like, the eyes and the platform and how she’s transforming our game. We can be thankful for the people who came before us, but you can also witness greatness and say that she is great and she has done so much for our sport right now.”

Cunningham also pushed back on hesitancy she has observed around fully crediting Clark for her role in the league’s growth.

“And I don’t know why people are so reluctant to give her her flowers,” Cunningham said. “And maybe it is that Midwest mentality that people don’t like, but shit, I love it. I’m from Missouri, so I’m like, ‘Hey, bring it on, sister.’ So I’m a big fan.”

Breaking down the three-way comparison

Each piece of Cowherd’s comparison points to a different facet of Clark’s game and career trajectory. The Jordan comparison centers on trajectory rather than playing style, reflecting Clark’s role as the central figure behind the WNBA’s recent surge in television audiences, attendance and mainstream attention since she entered the league.

The Curry comparison is more literal, pointing to Clark’s shooting range well beyond the three-point arc and her ability to warp opposing defenses simply by drawing attention from distance, a hallmark of Curry’s game with the Golden State Warriors.

The Bird comparison, according to Cunningham, is the least precise of the three. Bird built his reputation in part on confidence, trash talk and an outspoken personality on the court, while Cunningham described Clark as more reserved away from basketball, someone who prefers simple routines over a larger public persona.

Part of a broader pattern of attention

The comparison arrives amid continued scrutiny of Clark’s impact on the WNBA, a topic that has generated near-constant discussion across sports media since her rookie season. Clark has become one of the league’s most closely watched players both for her on-court production and for the ratings and revenue increases that have accompanied her rise.

Cunningham’s willingness to embrace the comparison, rather than push back on it, reflects how some of Clark’s peers view her role in the league’s recent growth. Rather than treating the comparison as an overstatement, Cunningham used the moment to argue that the broader women’s basketball community should be more comfortable acknowledging Clark’s significance without diminishing the contributions of players who built the league before her arrival.

Whether Cowherd’s specific pairing of Jordan, Curry and Bird holds up under closer scrutiny may be beside the point. The larger takeaway, reinforced by Cunningham’s response, is the extent to which Clark’s presence continues to reshape conversations about the WNBA’s direction, visibility and commercial trajectory nearly two years into her professional career.

Hyderabad: Riding on its success in the recent Legislative Assembly polls, the ruling Congress in Telangana is banking on the implementation of its poll ‘guarantees’ to score big in the Lok Sabha elections, being held on May 13. An Assembly bypoll will also be held on that day in this southern state.

The morale of Congress cadre is high following the 2023 win.

The BJP, riding high on its growing voter base in Telangana, is now aiming to win over 12 out of the total 17 seats and 35 per cent vote share, in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The party doubled its vote share to nearly 14 per cent resulting in eight seats in the assembly elections held on November 30, last year. BRS, which ruled the state for about a decade since its emergence, is low on morale following the defeat, even as its founder and former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao‘s daughter K Kavitha was arrested on the eve of poll dates announcement, adding insult to the injury.

A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis of political parties in Telangana.

CONGRESS STRENGTHS: -Congress is in power following its victory in the Assembly polls and momentum is on its side. -The implementation of the ‘guarantees’ announced before the Assembly elections by the Revanth Reddy government has generated goodwill for the party. -The popularity of CM Reddy. -Since it is in power, it has more access to resources to fight the polls. -Regarded as a secular party and minorities are believed to have voted for the party in the Assembly elections. -The BRS which was in power for 10 years is demoralised following its rout in the Assembly polls. The contest is mainly seen to be between Congress and BJP in the parliament elections. -Strong cadre at the grassroots level. -The party has already announced candidates for some seats.

WEAKNESSES: -The construction of Lord Ram temple at Ayodhya may swing devout Hindutva voters in favour of BJP. -The popularity of PM Narendra Modi would help the BJP and Congress may not be able to address this fully. OPPORTUNITIES: -Decline of BRS, and BJP lacking organisational strength in some constituencies. – CM Revanth Reddy, who is also PCC president, is regarded as an intelligent strategist. – Key issues like Ram temple and CAA may help the party get votes of minorities.

THREATS: -BJP’s aggressive campaign -Though BRS is down, it has announced that it will have an alliance with BSP for the Lok Sabha polls. In view of this, Congress needs to ensure that it gets the votes of Dalits and other backward sections in bulk.

BJP STRENGTHS: -Consecration of Ram temple at Ayodhya created a spiritual ambience among certain sections which can be transformed into electoral benefits. -Party’s clean image with respect to corruption -Strong leadership at the centre and their political shrewdness -Support from Sangh Pariwar, RSS affiliates like Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal -Ability to polarise votes on a “communal” basis.

WEAKNESSES: -The party had to pitch turncoats at some segments -For every decision, the local leadership will have to look up to the central leadership. -There is a strong feeling among people that the BJP and BRS have a tacit understanding. -The removal of Bandi Sanjay as state president is still seen as a weakness of the party.

OPPORTUNITIES: -The party can claim some of the achievements, such as the Women Reservation Bill and the September 17 official celebration of Hyderabad Liberation Day, to its credit. -BJP may focus on negative aspects of Congress government’s “Six guarantees”.

THREATS: -After the Assembly polls, Congress formed the government in Telangana very recently and emerged as an alternative to BRS. So the positive feeling towards Congress still remains -Congress’ campaign may centre around the BJP and BRS’s alleged understanding. The BJP needs to counter it effectively. Congress may use it as one of the major poll issues. -Barring a few, there are hardly any crowd-pullers in the party locally.

Foreign investors returned to Asian equities in August, ending a nine-month selling streak, with net purchases of US$4.72 billion across Taiwan, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. A further US$1.52 billion entered the region in the first part of September, driven by strong technology earnings and renewed enthusiasm for AI-related stocks, although Thailand and the Philippines remained among the markets experiencing outflows.

Key figures / indicators: August Asian inflows US$4.72bn; September inflows so far US$1.52bn; MSCI Asia-Pacific ex-Japan +3.01% in August; Asian corporate profits +44.7% y/y, with technology profits +88.3%.

Why it matters: The return of foreign capital is a constructive signal for ASEAN markets, but the distribution shows investors still favour North Asian AI and semiconductor exposure over Thailand. Bangkok’s challenge is to translate its data-centre, EV and digital-investment pipeline into listed companies and supply-chain opportunities capable of attracting a larger share of regional technology capital.

Ahmedabad: The charisma of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is among the key factors most likely to influence voters in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat, according to political observers.

Lok Sabha polls in Gujarat will be held in a single phase on May 7. Counting of votes will be held on June 4. Anti-incumbency, unemployment, inflation, education and healthcare facilities are some of the other important issues in the election, where the ruling BJP in Gujarat will attempt to retain all the 26 Lok Sabha seats it won in 2019.

Gujarat is among the states which will play a crucial role in deciding the outcome of the elections to the Lower House of Parliament. In the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party won all the 26 seats in the state.

Here are some issues that will play a decisive role in the elections in Gujarat:

PM Narendra Modi’s charisma: The ruling BJP has a trump card in the form of the prime minister, who hails from Gujarat and was its chief minister from 2001 to 2014 before occupying the top post of the country. His sway over the followers in his home state is still intact.

Anti-incumbency: Observers feel that the opposition will try to take advantage of any anti-incumbency sentiment during the last 10 years of BJP rule at the Centre. They feel that “floating voters” who do not vote on the basis of ideology can be swayed by the opposition if they offer proper alternatives.

Inflation: Low and middle-income households are the worst-affected in terms of the effects of inflation. So this will be a decisive factor considering how the price rise has impacted the lives of people in the last 10 years. The opposition has been constantly targeting the Modi government over this issue.

Unemployment: This is another point that the opposition parties have been using to hit out at the Centre. Since this issue directly affects the lives of common people, this will be high on the mind of voters when they exercise their franchise. Lack of basic education and health facilities in remote areas: If school classrooms are constructed in remote rural areas, there is a dearth of teachers. The lack of primary health centres and doctors also adversely affects health services in rural pockets. Farmers’ issues: Issues like lack of adequate compensation for crop loss due to excess rains, non-availability of fertilisers and land acquisition for project development will also play a major role in affecting voter sentiment, the observers said.

Splits in key political parties Shiv Sena and NCP have made the battle for the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra more interesting, besides the focus on traditional issues like unemployment and farmer suicides. Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra will be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20. Counting of votes will be held on June 4.

The BJP-Shiv Sena won 41 of the 48 seats in the 2019 polls, but the Sena has split since and a vast majority of the Bal Thackeray-founded party is now allied with the BJP. The Nationalist Congress Party also split as well with Ajit Pawar joining the ruling alliance in the state, led by Eknath Shinde. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP emerged the top party with 23 seats, followed by the undivided Sena with 18. The undivided NCP had emerged victorious on four seats, the Congress one, while the AIMIM and an Independent accounted for the remaining two.

A total of 9.2 crore persons, including more than 50,000 centenarians, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, an increase of 34 lakh from 2019. Here is how the political landscape in various regions of Maharashtra looks like ahead of the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

Konkan: The coastal region of the state includes Mumbai, the country’s commercial capital with six highly urbanised Lok Sabha seats, where issues include woes related to transportation, housing and jobs. The BJP-Sena had won 12 of the 13 seats in the region in 2019. While the Shiv Sena (UBT) could attract some sympathy post the split, other issues all parties will have to contend with are plans to construct a massive refinery and nuclear power plant in Ratnagiri area and a mega port in Vadhavan near Dahanu in Palghar.

Western Maharashtra: One of the most developed regions in the state, it is home to industrial cities with information technology hubs as well as sugar mills, ethanol plants and agri-rich rurban (land on the edge of a town or city, on which new housing and businesses are being built) pockets. The region receives ample rainfall but unequal distribution of water among various areas has been a traditional bone of contention. The split in the NCP, a strong contender in the region, and the Shiv Sena means the upcoming polls will ensure focus on candidates as much as party ideology due to fresh realignments. In the 209 polls, the BJP won five seats, while the Shiv Sena and the Sharad Pawar-founded Nationalist Congress Party won three each from this region.

North Maharashtra: This region is among the country’s top sources of grapes and onions, making it a hotbed for discontent in connection to changes in export-import policies for farm produce. Inadequate or unseasonal rainfall is another bugbear that can change the discourse. The region has a significant population of tribals and backward segments. In the 2019 polls, the BJP-Shiv Sena won all six seats in the region.
Marathwada: The region is infamous for lack of adequate rainfall, which has left it under-developed when compared to other parts of Maharashtra, leading to unemployment woes. Unseasonal rains and crop loss are annual phenomena, resulting in sharp surges of discontent among farmers. Apart from the industrial hub of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad), the rest of the region is rural and lacks basic amenities. Speedy highway construction has boosted transportation. In 2019, the BJP won four Lok Sabha seats, followed by three for its ally Shiv Sena.

The Aurangabad seat was won by the Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM. Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange hails from Marathwada and has a following in the region as was seen during many of his protests in the last few months. Vidarbha: Blessed with abundant natural resources and forests, the region in the eastern part of the state, however, has been in limelight for farmer suicides.

Left Wing Extremism is also a problem in some parts, mainly in Gadchiroli. There are also problems of human-wildlife conflicts in districts like Chandrapur, home to a sizable number of tigers. Soybean and cotton produce not fetching good returns could lead to agricultural distress in the region.

Moreover, several MP’s from the area were those who retained their seats, which means they may face anti-incumbency in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Of the 11 Lok Sabha seats in Vidarbha, the BJP won five, Shiv Sena three, while Congress and an Independent emerged victorious on one seat each in the last elections.