The GOAT debate has become one of the more toxic and persistent discussions in the NBA world, with a strong majority of people falling into two camps: Michael Jordan and Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James. Shaquille O’Neal, currently covering the NBA Finals with ESPN, did not explicitly weigh in, but gave an interesting take.
O’Neal was asked who he would take No. 1 overall if he was a general manager and had his pick of every player in NBA history. He took himself, naturally, but then was asked who he would take if he wasn’t an option, via Melissa Rohlin of The California Post:
“Me,” O’Neal told The Post.
Excluding himself?
“I’d probably go with [LeBron James] because Bron — and I know this is a Kobe [Bryant] comparison — Bron had it when he came in,” O’Neal told The Post. “It took Kobe two or three years to get it. Bron had it when he came in, so I’d probably go with Bron.”
While this doesn’t mean O’Neal views James as the GOAT, it does show the respect he has for the career James has had. James was drafted No. 1 overall in 2003 by the Cleveland Cavaliers, and was instantly an impact player. He finished top 10 in MVP voting in Year 1, was named to his first All-Star team in Year 2, and is still an elite player after 23 seasons.
Regardless of where one stands on the James-Jordan debate, there is no doubting that James has had the most impressive career and body of work in league history, and that taking him No. 1 overall would be the right choice.
LeBron James blessed to be on Time Magazine cover
James was recently honored as the cover athlete of Time Magazine’s first sports package, detailing the 100 most influential people in the sports world. He took to social media after the reveal of the cover to say how grateful and blessed he was to be honored in this way.
James is almost by default the most influential player in the sports world, simply by virtue of how long he has been at the top of it. He was either the unanimous best player in the world or in the discussion for it for nearly two decades, and has been an All-Star for 22 straight years, a feat no NBA player may ever accomplish again.
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