We all know LeBron James is one of the greatest basketball players ever. But where he ranks, exactly, among guys like Magic, Kobe, Bird, and even Jordan is still widely debated among NBA circles.
For James himself, though, his moment of clarity came in 2016, after he led the Cavaliers to a miracle comeback over the 73-win Warriors. In a throwback clip, James admits that it was in that moment when he believed he surpassed MJ.
Throwback to LeBron saying he is the GOAT for beating the 73-9 Warriorspic.twitter.com/zY3BQC9ubY
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 24, 2020
After a 73 win season, the 2016 Warriors were considered, at the time, to be the greatest team ever. With Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, they were rich with star-power and had depth in all positions.
For James to come back and beat them from down 3-1 is just downright unbelievable. It’s easy to see why anyone would call Bron the GOAT after that. In that series alone, he averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 8.9 assists on 49% shooting. He dropped 109 points in the last three games combined.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl3JCYxLvDI
On the flip side, his resume still comes up somewhat short in comparison to Jordan’s. Jordan has 6 Championships, 5 MVPs, and 10 Scoring Titles. Bron only has 3, 4, and 1 — respectively.
Nevertheless, the debate will continue to rage on, likely even long after James has called it a career. Maybe it’s best if we all just agree to disagree on this one.
