The GOAT debate seems to be narrowed down to two players as Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan separated themselves from their peers with their talent and resumes.
While Jordan is often cited as having the higher peak, James’ longevity is something to marvel at. In Year 23, James remains one of the best players in the league and is still chasing championships with the Lakers.
The Lakers are in the midst of an eight-game road trip and their most recent stop saw them in Chicago where Jordan crafted his legendary playing career.
Head coach JJ Redick believes James and Jordan are the best to ever step on a basketball court and explained how LeBron continues to stay great this late into his career, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“I’ve always said the greatest players in any era would be great in any era. It’s hard to compare eras and play styles and to me it’s even hard to compare stats. Jordan is 1, Bron is 1, Jordan is 2, LeBron is 2. However you wanna do it, to me they’re the two greatest players of all time. I think the biggest thing is just you hear stories about how LeBron prepares and never was his teammate, so didn’t get to experience it firsthand but now being around him the last year and half he’s a maniac. He’s maniacal about his approach and his preparation and every single day is centered around, ‘How do I prepare my body and my mind to play the next game?’ And I said the other night it’s the perfect example for any NBA basketball player of how to approach their career and their craft and that’s the reason he’s been able to do it for so long and do it at such a high level.”
Jordan’s run in the 1990s is the stuff of legend, giving Hall of Famers like Magic Johnson enough reason to pick him as the GOAT over James. However, LeBron’s body of work and his ability to keep pace with the current generation of stars isn’t anything to gloss over either.
As Redick noted, there’s really no wrong answer between Jordan and James in the GOAT debate and both players should be celebrated for what they mean to the game of basketball.
Scottie Pippen names Magic Johnson GOAT over LeBron James and Michael Jordan
Scottie Pippen got to see up close how great Michael Jordan was, but he has an interesting take on the GOAT debate. Instead of LeBron James and Jordan, Pipped named Magic Johnson as his GOAT though the Lakers legend isn’t mentioned in the conversation as often.
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