Rich Paul wants to clear the air about his recent Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James take … saying even though he’d want MJ to take a last shot over his bestie/top client … the King is still 100% his G.O.A.T.

ICYMI, Paul and his “Game Over” podcast co-host Max Kellerman were talking hoop recently … when the big-time sports agent revealed he chose His Airness to be the guy shooting the ball at the end of a game over Bron or Kobe Bryant — saying there’s “no question about it.”

When we caught up with Paul out in Beverly Hills this week … he said folks made it out to be like he was dissing LBJ in favor of MJ … which was not the case at all.

“No, that got misconstrued,” Paul said. “The internet clips it. What happened was, they asked me a question about the three players. So, I said yeah, if I’m starting a team, I’m taking LeBron at No. 1. I’m still taking LeBron at No. 1, and I would take MJ to take the last shot, but that’s not saying that I’m choosing one over the other.”

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“We know who the best player ever is. His name is LeBron James.”

Remember, Paul — the CEO and founder of Klutch Sports Group — has known James forever and became his agent in 2012 … so it’s no surprise where his loyalty lies.

But being the most clutch and the best player are two different things … and Paul’s Team LeBron all the way.