The debate over the GOAT of basketball is a discussion that has been going on for decades and will continue on for many more. These days, the debates mostly center around Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan vs. Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James with many others insisting that Kobe Bryant should be mentioned in the discussion as well.
There are plenty of other names that can be mentioned also, such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell, amongst many others, and everyone has an opinion on the subject. But one person who doesn’t care for the discussion at all is Jordan himself.
In the latest “Insights to Excellence” segment, Jordan explained why he doesn’t like the GOAT debate and how it can diminish the contributions of many all-time greats, while also noting that the competitor inside of him would’ve loved to face off with peak Kobe and LeBron, via NBA on NBC:
“The whole GOAT term is never gonna be something that I ever will get high or low about, it just doesn’t exist for me. I never played against Oscar Robertson or Jerry West. Would’ve loved to, absolutely loved to. Just the competitor that I am, and I actually learned from them. And we paved the road for the Kobes and LeBrons right? Theres a beauty of the game of basketball that a player after previous players has evolved the game further. But don’t then now use that against the player that actually taught you the game or that you learned from. I would have loved to play against LeBron and Kobe in my prime, I’d love to have played against those guys but we’ll never be able to know that. Part of the marketing, part of the hype, part of the things that tries to elevate one generation above the other, I think it creates animosity. I have no animosity against today’s players, but you do have certain players that do have animosity due to the forgottenness of what their contribution has been to the game of basketball. It is what it is. It is an empty comparison, it’s an absolutely never find out the true answer to that question. It’s just gonna keep going and I understand and 100% [great] to talk about and envision. I think LeBron has had an unbelievable career and I admire him for what he’s done. And Kobe as well as KD, all these guys who have played in this era, I think they’ve elevated the game of basketball tremendously. I just don’t agree when you start trying to put one above the other, it doesn’t work. We’ll never know. It creates more of a problem. Not for me, I’ve never given it credence. But for other players who look for their existence within the generation of basketball and we should always honor that. We should always preserve that. We should always reward that they paved the road for a lot of generations after that. I mean [Kareem Abdul] Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell had 11 championships, how do you just push him in the corner and say ‘ehh we ain’t gonna think about you. We’ll forget about you.’ That to me is where I get lost.”
While Jordan did face off with Bryant in the NBA, it was never when both were at their peak as the Lakers star was just a teenager during those early years when Jordan was still the face of the league in the late 1990s. And Jordan was not quite himself in his return with the Wizards when the Lakers legend was much closer to his peak form. Jordan also retired the year before LeBron entered the league so those two never shared an NBA court together.
While the GOAT debate is great for fans and media outlets, Jordan does have a point in that sometimes people can get so passionate in their beliefs that they begin tearing down some great players in order to prove that someone else is better, which can create some animosity amongst the older generation whose accomplishments aren’t getting their due.
The game is always meant to evolve and players take from those who came before them and grow the sport, which is what makes this such a beautiful sport.
Lakers’ LeBron James discusses legacy ahead of eventual retirement
While LeBron James is still playing at a very high level in his 23rd NBA season, it is only a matter of time before the Lakers superstar calls it a career. And even though it is still unclear when he will retire from the game of basketball, LeBron discussed his overall legacy of his career.
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