It seems that there are always debates about who the greatest players in certain sports are. For years, a debate raged over whether or not Tom Brady had surpassed Joe Montana as the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) in football. I was hesitant to place him there even after Brady won his fourth Super Bowl title, when he came back from down 10 points in Super Bowl XLIX and drove the Patriots to two fourth quarter touchdowns to beat the Seahawks, who had the greatest defense of their era. But two years later, when Brady reached seventh overall Super Bowl, and then came back from a 28-3 deficit to orchestrate the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, and won his fifth Super Bowl championship ring, it seemed clear to me that the debate was over. Brady had more wins overall, better numbers, more Conference Championship Game appearances, more Super Bowl appearances, and finally, more Super Bowl titles than Montana did. And she clearly showed that he could win under tremendous adversity. While I can agree with the sentiment of being in awe of Joe Montana, and definitely feeling that he was, at once, more modest and generally likable than Tom Brady, there really was no way to win an argument in suggesting that Montana was the better or more accomplished quarterback.
A very similar debate is raging in the NBA. Some people keep suggesting that LeBron James is the GOAT in basketball, over the other player who is most often considered the GOAT, Michael Jordan. In this case, too, it seems to me that the older guy is more likeable. Yet, it is not for that reason that I feel Jordan still ranks as the GOAT in basketball history.
First of all, let us give credence to why some people suggest that LeBron James deserves to be regarded as the GOAT. He is now officially ahead of Michael Jordan in terms of overall career points scored during their illustrious basketball careers. He has won more playoff games overall, as well. And let us not forget that he qualified for more NBA Finals appearances, with ten overall, including four NBA championships won. Also, he was the NBA MVP four times.
All of those are undeniably great accomplishments, and I will not try and detract from that. Again, my argument is not that LeBron James ranks among the all-time great players in NBA history. My argument is that he has not yet done enough - and frankly, is not likely to do enough - to overthrow Michael Jordan (from here on out I will refer to him as MJ), as the GOAT.
So, here's why I believe that MJ is still the GOAT: he lifted his team to the NBA Championship six times, and in the process, made the NBA a better, more entertaining league. There were a ton of very solid teams that had a chance to knock MJ and the Bulls off when they were at full strength, but nobody could do it. Some teams came close, like the New York Knicks in 1992, and the Indiana Pacers in 1998, which were the only times in the dynasty days that any teams forced a Game 7 against MJ and the Bulls. But Chicago still won, and they kept beating the best in the business, year after year after year. MJ won the NBA MVP award five times, and he not only won those six NBA titles, but was named NBA Finals MVP all six times that he won, to boot.
When his team faced adversity, he dug deep and got better. He took charge of games, and of series, and lifted his team past teams that probably should have managed to win. There was one series when one team, the 1995 Orlando Magic, actually did beat MJ and the Bulls. So why did I not include that? Because MJ had just re-entered the league after a nearly two year retirement, and he was not one hundred percent. That was a painful loss, and MJ himself had made one of the key mistakes that cost the Bulls a game, and possibly swing the series in favor of the Magic. So what did MJ do? He trained himself, worked hard and prepared himself physically and mentally. The next season, the Bulls enjoyed the most dominant season that any team has ever had, the famous 72-10 season. While the Magic and Bulls rivalry seemed to be the NBA's answer to the Cowboys-49ers rivalry in the NFL, the Bulls, and MJ, specifically, made that less of a rivalry than it otherwise should have been. The Magic went 60-22, and had been billed as the next dynasty. But the Bulls swept them in the Eastern Conference Finals, discouraging them so much that Shaquille O'Neal left the Magic. The Bulls went on to beat the 64-18 Seattle Supersonics, another great team, to capture their fourth title in six years, and their first of what would be a second three-peat in the nineties.
Why do I bring this up, in particular? Because to me, this is the definitive answer for why Jordan is the GOAT. He suffered defeats, losing to the Celtics and Piston in the eighties and early nineties. But Jordan stayed on the Bulls, as they slowly built a solid team around him. Eventually, that team eclipsed everyone else in the Eastern Conference, and indeed, in the rest of the NBA. He did not take some kind of easy way out, joining a so-called "super team" like LeBron did when he took his talents to South Beach (by the way, the Heat do not actually play any games at South Beach). Jordan stayed with his original team, remained patient, took his lumps, and waited until the team got better. Once they gave him a real chance to win, he grabbed it by the throat. They finally got past the "Bad Boys," the Detroit Pistons, who had been the one team that they could not seemingly defeat before, in 1991. Then, they won their first NBA title, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers, who were still largely the same dynasty team that they had been in the eighties. The Bulls went 68-14 the next season, survived that scare mentioned earlier by the Knicks, and ultimately won another title. They then overcame an 0-2 deficit in the next year's Eastern Conference Finals, when many pundits were already crowning the Knicks the new champions, and swept New York the rest of the way.
Yes, MJ faced adversity. He did not run to another team once he suspected that he could not win the big one with his original team, to join some super team. He did not break his hand on a blackboard after Game 1 of a series like LeBron did, because unlike LeBron, MJ never suddenly recognized that another team was just too good, as I suspect LeBron recognized that the Warriors were just too good for him to beat. No, MJ hung on, and willed his team to win, no matter what, and no matter who he had to beat, or what style of play the opponents had. The Bulls of the nineties could play with anyone, no matter what their style, whether they had high-scoring, flashy offenses, or were physically tougher and more defensive oriented. While MJ was on the Bulls in the nineties, nobody was better. Nobody. And the league was at the absolute height of it's power as well, and MJ was no small part of that.
This was in evidence when Jordan was faced with his most important, truly defining moments and games. That is why we do not remember Jordan choking. Yes, he screwed up that one time against the Magic in 1995, but he came back so strong the next season, that the biggest star player on Orlando left town rather than have to face MJ and the Bulls in the playoffs again. MJ took his lumps in his early years, and he slowly grew better than the opponents who used to torment him in the playoffs, until there came a point when nobody - absolutely nobody - could beat MJ and his Bulls.
That simply is not the case with LeBron. I remember how he had the tattoo "Chosen 1" on his back, back in 2012, apparently. But at that point, when he was pretty clearly staking his claim as "the GOAT," he had won one championship, and that came after he joined the "super team" in Miami, a team that had won an NBA title six years earlier, without LeBron. At that point, perhaps the defining moment that I remember regarding LeBron was him breaking the hearts of Cleveland fans in announcing his departure for greener pastures in Miami. After that, the other defining moment was with another immature star teammate in Miami, when he and Dwayne Wade seemingly coughed in a mocking manner in what was a barely veiled reference to rival Dirk Nowitzki being sick during the NBA Finals. The Heat had home court advantage in that series, and were considered the favorites, but they lost. It was hard not to feel that they got their just deserts for showing such an astonishing level of immaturity and disrespect, quite frankly.
Since then, I believe that LeBron has been defined as much for his bouncing around in the league, and for what he failed to do, as for his undeniably great accomplishments. Again, LeBron breaking his hand entirely unnecessary and of his own accord, allegedly because he had some kind of mental breakdown after receiving a serious on the court beatdown against a better team in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. MJ likely would have gotten mad, and done something to lift his team. To me, LeBron possibly broke his hand to have an excuse for why he was not at full strength and allowed another team to best him yet again in an NBA Finals. The same team that had beaten him in three of the four NBA Finals meetings that the two teams would meet each other in.
When I think of MJ in the NBA playoffs, and especially the NBA Finals, it is for all of the glorious things that he managed to do, the impossible shots and immortal moments when he took over a game, or indeed, a series. Remember when he dropped 63 points against the dynasty Boston Celtics, giving his team a chance to win (they didn't, though)? Or when he switched hands in mid-air and made an incredible shot that seemed made for the highlight reels? Or when he made the clutch plays in Utah in Game 5 to lift his team over the Jazz, and then had to be helped by teammate Scottie Pippen over to the bench, because he was so weak and sick with the flu? Or the next year, again in Utah, when the Jazz seemed about to win Game 6 and force a Game 7, only to see Jordan steal the ball from NBA MVP Karl Malone on the defensive side, and then keep the ball and hit the game winner with just seconds left to stun the Jazz and give the Chicago Bulls their sixth, and ultimately, they last, NBA title?
That is what I think of when MJ comes to mind. No selfish, petty moments, although he had some unflattering moments. Nobody remembers when the ball was stolen from him and when this cost his team a chance at beating the Magic, because he proved that this was a fluke, that he was not at his best that particular year. When he was at his best, he made the Bulls unbeatable, period. Nobody could beat them, and nobody could eclipse MJ as the real King of the Court. Best of all, he did it with relative modesty, never claiming to be the "Greatest," or the GOAT or the "Chosen 1." MJ did his talking on the court, and silenced all critics. And when he was at his best, he silenced his greatest opponents and rivals, to boot.
By contrast, LeBron feels like he failed to lift his team on that same level. He failed to lift his team enough to even win a single game in the 2007 NBA Finals against Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs. He not only did not lift his team over the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, but I suspect he hurt his team's chances with his mockery of their rival's biggest star. He lost to Duncan and the Spurs yet again in 2014. He lost three of four NBA Finals series to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. And through it all, LeBron kept switching teams, seemingly trying to gain leverage in order to legitimize his frankly empty claims to being the GOAT. But in the early part of his career, I would argue that both Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan were better, and earned the rings to prove it. In the latter part of LeBron's career, I would argue that Steph Curry was better, and had the rings to prove it. In the case of both Duncan and Curry, they beat LeBron more often than not in the head-to-head Finals series to prove it.
Nobody, but nobody, could claim the same against Jordan when he was at his best.
Indeed, there were plenty of great players, and great teams, trying to win even a single NBA title during that time, who were denied because they could not get past Jordan. There was Magic and the Lakers, Ewing and the Knicks, Reggie Miller and the Pacers, Clyde Drexler with the Trailblazers (although he did win it with Houston, but with the asterisk of it having happened in Jordan's absence), Charles Barkley and the Suns, Gary Payton and the Seattle Supersonics, Karl Malone and John Stockton and the Jazz. Jordan was the main guy who would push the Bulls to a higher plateau, and it is impossible to think that the Bulls would have been anywhere near as successful without Jordan's incredible, and unrivaled, will to win, and even to dominate.
James might have reached eight straight NBA Finals, and ten overall NBA Finals appearances, but other teams often imposed their will on LeBron James and his teams. The San Antonio Spurs swept the Cavaliers in the 2007 NBA Finals. Boston beat Cleveland in 2008, en route to a dominant NBA Championship season. The Cavs went 66-16 in 2008-09, yet the Orlando Magic knocked Cleveland off in 2009. The Cavs went 61-21 in 2010, but against lost to the Boston Celtics. Then, a frustrated LeBron decided to join a super team in Miami, a team that had already won the NBA title in 2006, and which had added huge name talent to get more titles. They made it to the NBA Finals in 2011, but lost to an underdog Dallas Mavericks team. They did win two straight NBA titles, but then they lost again to the underdog San Antonio Spurs in the 2014 NBA Finals. LeBron then returned to the Cavaliers and led them to four straight NBA Finals, and they did win the whole thing in 2016 over the favored Warriors, but they lost three of four NBA Finals series to the Golden State Warriors.
Frustrated again, LeBron then joined the Lakers, hoping to attract still more big name talent, and collect some more rings. Now, the Lakers did win the NBA title in 2020, but again, LeBron joined a "super team" in order to do it. He seems to bounce around and gravitate to the team that he feels best gives him a chance at a title. MJ stayed put in Chicago, and willed his team to be the best. That is the difference, and it is not some minor point. Indeed, I think that is all the proof you need as to why MJ still deserves the title as the GOAT. MJ suffered losses and disappointments, and he used these to not only get better, but to make his team better. LeBron suffered losses and disappointments, and left his teams to join better teams that would improve his chances of reaching NBA Finals and winning NBA titles. There is a world of difference there.
Frankly, Jordan at his best is far better than LeBron at his best. When Jordan was playing at his very best, with a decent team around him, he was unstoppable. Literally, nobody could beat him. When LeBron was at his peak (and I think it is fair to say that he reached that when he finally made his first Finals appearance in 2007, plenty of other talented teams and players got the best of him and/or enjoyed more success than him, particularly Kobe and Duncan. Much of what prevented LeBron from reaching the pinnacle was LeBron's own fault. He assumed that he was "the greatest" and the "Chosen 1," yet Kobe and Duncan both seemed to be more dominant at times. He showed immaturity in taunting Dirk Nowitzski and the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals, and they bested him and his new team. He again showed a lack of leadership when facing adversity against San Antonio in 2014, and he showed the same lack of composure when bested by Golden State numerous times in their four NBA Finals meetings. Remember when he punched the lockers and broke his hand after Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals? Sure, he was frustrated after losing Game 1, but could you imagine Jordan losing his cool and doing something that so dramatically hurt his team's chances in such an important series? Neither can I.
In some cases, this argument is similar to the GOAT question in the NFL, between Brady and Montana. After all, Montana sported a perfect record in the Super Bowl, and he was superhuman in those Super Bowl games that he did play in. By contrast, Brady also was superhuman in some of those games, but he also suffered some losses, like LeBron. Yet, while Brady might have thrown some picks that hurt his team's chances, those losses were not specifically because of Brady. Indeed, he very nearly won it for the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII with a come from behind touchdown drive to give his team the lead, only to see the Giants answer with a miraculous touchdown drive of their own. And in Super Bowl LII, Brady's Patriots put up some amazing numbers offensively, as the Pats had 500 passing yards and scored more points than any other losing team in Super Bowl history. Brady did not mock his opponents in the big game, or break his hand on a blackboard when the going got tough. And he was kind of forced out of New England, then proved that he still had it with his new team, the Buccaneers, who were hardly Super Bowl favorites even after Brady signed with them. He did not take his talents to Tampa with everyone expecting a title, but he brought the best out of that team, and did ultimately lead them to the championship, specifically because of how great he is. When Brady stayed with New England for so long, many claimed that he was a system quarterback who could not win without Belichick. Then, when he was basically forced out of New England, he won it all with Tampa Bay in his first year, and any lingering doubts remaining about Brady's greatness died, for all intents and purposes.
Brady did what he needed to do to earn the respect to be considered by most pundits and players alike as the true GOAT of his sport. He himself never claimed to be the GOAT, so far as I am aware. But LeBron claimed to be the GOAT, and then was infuriated when many disagreed. Who disagreed? Well, Magic Johnson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman, among many others.
In fact, Scottie Pippen said something that really struck me regarding this matter. He said that it is not LeBron's place to say that he is the greatest of all time, but up to his peers, which is to say, other players and experts. In claiming to be the greatest, Pippen suggested, he is putting himself ahead of everyone and everything that has come before. In other words, he is disrespecting the history of the game, and the other greats who played it, and helped to shape it into what it is today. This is something that I most definitely agree with Pippen on, and I feel it shows that LeBron clearly is very much of product of the entitled generation. MJ never once claimed to be the greatest ever. In fact, he says that he cringes whenever he hears others claiming that he is, which speaks of his character. What does it say about LeBron that he outright claims to be the greatest, and then gets mad and feels disrespected when some people do not agree?
Indeed, LeBron can boast an impressive, even legendary career. But whether he scored more points than MJ or not, he simply cannot rightly claim to be better than MJ was. Ultimately, Jordan stuck with one team and pushed that team to get better and better. Without Jordan, the Bulls might have reached an NBA Finals or two, and maybe even could have won one. With him, they won six, and were the team of the decade. Those Bulls of the nineties are still widely regarded as one of the most dominant teams in basketball, and indeed in sports, history.
Sorry, but no comparison there to the career of LeBron, who again bounced around from team to team, and went to whatever team suited his needs at the moment. If LeBron wins more titles, will they all be with his present team? Based on his past history, is it unthinkable to imagine a scenario where he goes to yet another loaded team and gets to be crowned NBA champion wearing still another team's uniform? Most of us, I am assuming, can picture that all too easily.
At the end of the day, I think that the main reason that MJ still easily ranks as the GOAT would be this simple: pertaining to the two seasons when MJ retired in the mid-nineties, people still question whether Houston would have won even a single title had MJ never retired. Absolutely nobody questions the legitimacy of a team that rose to become NBA Champions in this LeBron James era, from 2007 (the first year when a LeBron led team reached the NBA Finals right to the present day. That, to me, suggests who of these two NBA legends truly had the most profound impact on the league when they were at their peak.
Below are the links to articles I used in writing this particular blog entry:
Youtube Video:
Scottie Pippen reacts to LeBron calling himself GOAT: 'You can't say you're the greatest' | The Jump
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDV2qe7uUMo
LeBron feels he's the GOAT after Cavs' 2016 title win. by ESPN:
https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/25651126
Team MJ vs. Team LeBron: Where Do NBA Players Stand on the G.O.A.T. Debate?
https://www.audacy.com/sports/nba/mj-vs-lebron-who-do-nba-players-think-is-g-o-a-t
These Stats Suggest LeBron James Is The Greatest Basketball Player Ever by Tommy Beer, Forbes Staff Business, Oct 12, 2020:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2020/10/12/these-stats-suggest-lebron-james-is-the-greatest-basketball-player-ever/?sh=4340e8771cab
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