Exclusive: NFL superstar Ja’Marr Chase picks Kobe Bryant over Michael Jordan, LeBron James in GOAT debate: “My generation!”

Few players in the NFL have made an impact as quickly and consistently as Ja’Marr Chase. From helping lead one of the most talented teams in college football history at LSU to becoming one of the league’s premier wide receivers with the Cincinnati Bengals, Chase has built a career defined by elite playmaking, confidence, and a relentless competitive drive.

Long before he was catching touchdowns on Sundays, Chase was part of a legendary LSU squad that captured a College Football Playoff National Championship and an undefeated season behind quarterback Joe Burrow and fellow superstar receiver Justin Jefferson. The chemistry, brotherhood, and championship mentality forged during that historic season helped lay the foundation for Chase’s rise to NFL superstardom.

Today, Chase continues to dominate on the field while expanding his impact off it through partnerships with leading brands such as Fabletics, where performance, confidence, and personal style intersect with his everyday lifestyle.

Chase became the first athlete to partner with Fabletics, where he has his own signature Ja’Marr Chase Collection.

The collection, which boasts the symbolic tagline “Chasing No One,” takes inspiration from Chase’s dynamic lifestyle and features versatile and fashionable pieces that can support the modern man no matter where his journey takes him.

In this exclusive conversation with ClutchPoints’ Rob Lepelstat, Chase discusses the partnership with Fabletics, reflects on his journey from LSU to NFL star, his enduring connection with his QB1 Joe Burrow, his drive to get back to the Super Bowl with the Bengals, favorite video games, and one of the biggest debates in sports: Who is the NBA’s all-time GOAT?

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

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Rob Lepelstat: I could NOT be more excited to be joined by NFL superstar, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver, the man who, just like 7-Eleven, is ALWAYS open. That is, of course, Ja’Marr Chase. Ja’Marr, welcome to the show, man. How are you doing?

Ja’Marr Chase: Doing good. Thanks for having me!

RL: My pleasure. You’re wearing the Fabletics gear right now as we talk. You have a signature collection with them. You were the first NFL star to sign with the brand. Why did you decide to join the Fabletics family?

JC: Well, I felt like, for me, I felt like I joined the family because it’s most different for me. It stands out the most for me. It’s very unique. And I’m very heavily involved. And I think that’s the most important part, if I have input.

RL: You have your own signature Ja’Marr Chase Collection. When it comes to clothing, what is the thing that’s most important for you? How did you decide on the pieces that are in your specific collection?

JC: A lot of the pieces relate to myself and how I am and my fashion. And it’s a lot of activewear and lifestyle wear. You know, it’s a mix of in between. So that’s the easiest way for me to put it.

RL: Why is fashion something that’s so important for you, Ja’Marr?

JC: I don’t think it’s so important. I just think it’s comfortable for me. I think it’s something that I can have fun with and express myself without talking. It shows my personality a little bit!

RL: Take me through the outfit that you’re wearing right now. Is that part of your collection?

JC: Maybe not. You know, I can’t give you so much right now. You can only see with your eye. You know, I’m just teasing right now.

RL: Do you have certain colors that you like? Designs, patterns or fabrics? What is the perfect outfit for you?

JC: If I’m being quite honest, man, we have a lot of different fabrics, and that’s what I love the most. Every piece of clothing is not the same, but it feels just as soft as the others do. And also, the activewear is pretty good. Really, the shorts are the lightest. You know, I’ve trained in a lot of shorts, and the shorts are pretty light. So that’s the best part for me, especially all the moving I got to do at receiver.

RL: As a football player, just how important is activewear being comfortable and being able to work out and feel good in?

JC: Activewear is important, man, because sometimes activewear turns into lifestyle. Now you’re wearing it outside, and you go to sleep in shorts, too. So it’s worldwide. It’s full circle.

RL: When you talk about the partnership, what are your goals and vision for 2026 and beyond?

JC: Well, my goals are to sell as many as possible, right? But to have a great collection as well. You know, the best thing is getting feedback from the fans and the people who love the pieces the most, and, you know, trying to find it unique for them. That way it fits them also, as well as it fits me.

RL: What’s just the best piece of feedback you’ve gotten on the collection from anyone that’s wearing it?

JC: Honestly, you know, the craziest part is I’ve run into random people with shorts on all the time. And it kills me because I see that they’re friends are wearing Alo, so I say something about their friend’s stuff (laughing). So I say, get them in the right stuff! So, you know, honestly, it’s cool just seeing it, man. They don’t really give me ideas or points, but they always say it’s comfortable and light. So that’s good.

RL: How much fun was it doing that commercial with Kevin Hart? Because he was saying that he’s the first athlete, he’s the golfer. That commercial for me was priceless. I watched that a couple times on YouTube…

JC: Yeah, it was pretty amazing, honestly. We had fun on that set. It was very enjoyable, very easygoing. So I appreciate my Fabletics team for making it easy for me.

RL: Is Kevin Hart one of your favorite comedians, or where does fall in your rankings for you?

JC: He’s up there for sure. I’m not going to list him, but he’s up there for sure. For sure.

RL: Can’t gas him up too much, right?

JC: No, I can’t. He’s too short to gas up that high (laughing).

RL: NFL superstar Ja’Marr Chase with us here on STAT Sports. Let’s talk a little football. Let’s go back to your time at LSU, that amazing 2019 championship team. Joe Burrow’s at quarterback. You and Justin Jefferson at receiver. Clyde Edwards-Helaire at running back. Just why was that team unbeatable?

JC: If I’m being honest, man, the offense was just very prolific, bro. Everybody was very, very good. We didn’t have nobody that didn’t want to work, and that was the thing. Everybody had a great work ethic, which led us to a championship.

RL: I mean, it’s pretty crazy to have you on one side and JJ on the other, especially in college. Take me through that receiver room at LSU.

JC: I can say it was very competitive overall. Just everybody was competing with each other. We was always competing by who had the best hands, who was the fastest, who ran the best routes. So everything was always about competing within each other to make us better.

RL: How did it feel to win that National Championship, that perfect season? Just what was going through your mind there as the clock hit triple zero?

JC: I would say it felt surreal in the moment. I couldn’t actually believe what was going on until the bus ride back to Baton Rouge after the game. So we slept there in New Orleans that night. So the next day, I just remember going on a bus ride and I was like, everybody was asleep. I was the only one up at 7:30 in the morning.

RL: Why did it feel surreal?

JC: First, that was my first time. That was my second time playing in an NFL stadium, which was my home stadium. So that was my second time playing in there. And then just winning in front of my family, I think, was the best part. You know, I got to do it in front of my family with my teammates. That was the best part. And honestly, the aftermath, with OBJ and all the other famous guys that I wouldn’t have thought about meeting that day, was just surreal. You know what I’m saying? Everything was just too good to be true in the moment.

RL: Who was the craziest person you got to meet after the game? Like Drake or something, or some rapper?

JC: During the moment, it was OBJ [Odell Beckham Jr] because I was a big OBJ fan and I hadn’t met him yet. And that’s when he stole my college jersey from me because he wanted it so bad. And I had to FaceTime him to say, “Bro, can I get it back?” Because I just won a championship, and he just wanted the jersey. So it was, I thought, not bad. I’m like, I needed that.

RL: Is OBJ’s catch against the Cowboys the best one you’ve ever seen?

JC: Yeah. One-handed-wise, yes. You know, AB got some good catches. He catches one hand off his helmet and stuff. He got some good catches, too. Julio Jones got good catches. Megatron. David Tyree. Yeah. David Tyree.

RL: In the Super Bowl for the Giants!

JC: Oh, I’m too young for that. I’m too young for that!

RL: That’s okay (laughing). So take me through your brotherhood with Joe Burrow. You guys won the title together at LSU. You and him are one of the best duos in the NFL for the Bengals. Just take me through the brotherhood there between you and your quarterback.

JC: Yeah, Joe taught me a lot about football from college, I can say. He was one of the first people to sit me down and teach me how to break down film, not from a coach’s point, but from a player’s point, to where we can look at the little things that we want to see and transfer to the game. And that took me a long way. So I’d say that was a big step in me trusting him and him guiding me for me to be a better person, a better player.

RL: There’s a lot of great quarterbacks in the league—Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, go down the list. What makes Joe Burrow different than all the rest?

JC: That he doesn’t take nothing for granted—he takes everything serious. Like, he takes nothing for granted. Literally everything he does, he takes it serious.

RL: You’d roll with No. 9 over any other guy in the league?

JC: One hundred percent, yeah. Everybody know that, yeah.

RL: Joe’s a pretty fashionable guy himself, right?

JC: Yeah, he is now. Yeah, yeah.

RL: Take me back to 2024, your Triple Crown season. I mean, you just absolutely torched the league. What made that year different than any other year you’ve had in your career?

Ja’Marr Chase has unlocked his TRIPLE CROWN!!

127 receptions
1,708 receiving yards
17 TDs pic.twitter.com/ztOjWEjuZN

— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) January 6, 2025

JC: I would say that year, I probably was the hungriest. You know, it was a lot of situations going on off the field and on the field, I would say, that helped me push myself for the next year. And, you know, that’s the year that I was most focused and hungry to play again.

RL: Why were you hungry?

JC: I mean, we had a lot of stuff going on that year, you know what I’m saying? Off the field and on the field. But I think that’s what pushed me to be like that year. I think that’s what pushed me the most, is because of the stuff I was going through off the field and on the field.

RL: What’s the craziest DM or text or message you got from anyone that had watched? Like a celebrity or something that couldn’t believe the season you were having?

JC: I don’t think I was having that crazy of a year. Ain’t nobody, don’t nobody like me that much to DM me and tell me anything. So, I mean, I got you. Well, I think I’m that approachable, maybe. I don’t know.

RL: You played in the Super Bowl as a rookie. How hungry are you to get back there and hoist that Lombardi, just like you did in college as a champion?

JC: Honestly, I’m extremely hungry to go back. You know, I think this is the first year where I’m not worrying about personal stats or accolades going into the season, just so I can go on with a team mindset of winning and getting ourselves to where we need to be.

RL: Obviously, in a very competitive division. Just kind of take me through your mindset going into the season here in 2026.

JC: Well, this year we just got to start off fast. That’s the biggest thing. Little distractions, play as a team, stay focused, and you got to trust one another. That’s the biggest thing. We got a new team building around us. Our defense is supposed to be big this year. So it’s a lot of expectations. We’re living up to hype this year.

RL: Outside of football, off the field, what do you like to do? What’s your favorite hobby, Ja’Marr?

JC: Game. I’m a gamer. I’m not going to lie. I’m a gamer. Or honestly, I like hiking. You know, if I have free time, I’ve been hiking this past offseason. So that was pretty fun for me. And cars. I like riding around in my car, shooting it, getting rollers and stuff like that.

RL: What games are you playing? Are you like a Madden guy? You’re doing more like COD and GTA? What kind of gamer are you?

JC: Yeah, I’m more like COD, GTA, Arc Raiders, stuff like that.

RL: How hyped are you for GTA 6? I can’t wait, man.

JC: I can’t wait for the graphics. I think that’s the biggest thing for me right now because these graphics they showing me look insane.

RL: Are you an Xbox or a PlayStation guy?

JC: I am a PC guy.

RL: Why are you a PC guy?

JC: It’s a lot more. It’s a lot more. A lot more games, a lot more fun, KBM and mouse and controllers. So it’s the best of both worlds.

RL: If you had to give me your all-time Mount Rushmore of wide receivers, who would be on that list for you?

JC: No order?

RL: No order. Go ahead.

JC: All right. I’m going to put myself on there.

RL: As you should.

JC: Okay. Man, this is not easy.

RL: I’m making you think this morning!

JC: This is not easy. I want to go Randy Moss.

RL: Okay. That’s one!

JC: People are going to hate me for this. Antonio Brown.

RL: Interesting! Okay.

JC: Yes, I know. I know. Very interesting. Uh, oh, this is hard. So many good receivers. I’m gonna go Julio Jones.

RL: Hmm. Yeah, AB. I think that’s the one that people will be interested in. I mean, I know his prime was insane.

JC: If we’re gonna look at AB’s stats, bro, for seven years straight, AB was by far, by far in front of everybody with yards and touchdowns for at least four years straight out of seven years. He was running the league for four years straight. And this was on his back end too. This is not in the beginning of his career. So AB got a lot of stats that’s insane, and you gotta realize he could have still played three more years after he walked off. Like, AB could have. I’m not going to keep vouching for him, but let’s just say he’s in the Mount Rushmore.

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RL: So no Jerry Rice or Michael Irvin, any of the older guys? It seems like you’re giving more love to the younger guys.

JC: I’ve never seen Jerry Rice play, for one. I feel like—I’m not saying he’s bad—but for me, I’ve never seen him play. So I can’t sit here and say that. He played against only Deion Sanders, you know what I’m saying? I can’t say who he’s played against that made him a difference maker. You know what I’m saying? I’m not saying he’s not a difference maker, but if he was to play in my time, it would be totally different from his time because I can run a go route and not have safety help the whole game if I played back in the day. So it’s a difference between now and then as far as generation. So I’m just going to go with my generation instead of the old generation. That’s like the Kobe and Jordan thing. Yeah. I’m a Kobe just because that’s what I’ve seen.

RL: So you’re Kobe over Jordan and LeBron??

JC: I’m taking Kobe over LeBron. I hope nobody kills me, but I’m gonna take Kobe over LeBron. I’m gonna take him over MJ. I don’t know much about MJ, but I’ve heard so many good stories.

RL: Are you more of an old Kobe with Shaq guy or Kobe with Pau guy?

JC: Kobe with Pau!

RL: Is that just because you didn’t see any of him with Shaq?

JC: I didn’t see the Kobe-Shaq stuff, and I heard they had beef growing up, whatever. But I like the Kobe-Pau thing because that’s what I was watching growing up.

RL: Ja’Marr Chase, Kobe Bryant, and AB [Antonio Brown] fan. Ja’Marr, thank you so much for the time. Really appreciate it.

JC: (laughing) Thank you, Rob! Have a great day

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Rob Lepelstat is an experienced sports media professional with over 7+ years in content creation, editorial, social media, reporting/interviewing, etc. His work has been featured in USA Today, Yahoo Sports, Bleacher Report, and more. Check out more of his interviews, including Jay-Z, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lawrence Taylor, Ray Lewis, Derek Jeter, Ice Cube, “Dr. J” Julius Erving, Drew Brees, and Livvy Dunne here.

The post Exclusive: NFL superstar Ja’Marr Chase picks Kobe Bryant over Michael Jordan, LeBron James in GOAT debate: “My generation!” appeared first on ClutchPoints.