Former NBA players Udonis Haslem and Metta World Peace stated on the latest episode of the OGs podcast that they believe Michael Jordan is the GOAT.
Metta World Peace: “Imma go with Mike, honestly. I think Mike is incredible.”
Udonis Haslem: “The only reason why MJ is my GOAT is because, like he said, we watched him growing up. I’m older than Bron, he can’t be my GOAT.”
(starts at 41:20 mark):
While he had quite the hilarious reason for it, Haslem joins a list of current and former teammates of LeBron James who have picked Jordan over him in the GOAT debate. The likes of Anthony Davis, Dwyane Wade, and Ray Allen all think the Chicago Bulls icon is the greatest ever.
While LeBron appears to be closing that gap, Jordan is still widely regarded as the greatest. He won six championships, six Finals MVPs, five MVPs, one DPOY, and 10 scoring titles in a remarkable career. Jordan never lost in the NBA Finals as well, which is also a big reason why he is regarded as the best.
World Peace, meanwhile, doesn’t have James as his second-greatest player ever either, as he went with Wilt Chamberlain. He does think, though, that when LeBron’s numbers get crunched after he retires, they will read that he is No. 1.
Well, his numbers are ridiculous even as of now, as James is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with 39,926 points. He also ranks fourth all-time in assists with 10,821 and eighth in steals with 2,251. Depending on how much longer he plays, James can climb even higher in those rankings.
His statistical dominance combined with a resume that includes four titles, four Finals MVPs, four MVPs, a scoring title, and an assist title is why LeBron’s case has been getting stronger over time. You do feel, though, that the 39-year-old needs to win another championship or two if he is to surpass Jordan.
You wouldn’t bet against LeBron’s accomplishing that, as he continues to shine despite getting up there in age. In his 21st season in the league in 2023-24, James is averaging 25.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game for the Los Angeles Lakers. The 20-time All-Star has a couple of years left in him, but it remains to be seen if the Lakers can surround him with the talent he needs to win a title.
Metta World Peace Thinks Michael Jordan Would Average 50 PPG In Today’s NBA
There has always been talk about what Jordan’s numbers would be like if he played today. Well, World Peace thinks Jordan would average 50 points in today’s NBA.
“More than James Harden,” World Peace said when asked how many points MJ would average in the modern-day game. “I was at the Jordan era. I was in the LeBron [James], Kobe [Bryant], [Tim] Duncan, and I was at the tail end. I’ve played with these guys. I’ve seen all the 3-point balls go up. Jordan would average 50.”
“If he wanted to,” World Peace continued. “James Harden wants to average 50. He just can’t. He’s got 38. If Jordan wants to average 50, if he was playing in this era, I think he averages 50. And this is no disrespect to any of the guys that’s killing.”
World Peace was, of course, referring to when James Harden won three straight scoring titles from 2018 to 2020. Harden averaged 36.1 points per game in 2018-19 and Metta believes Jordan would have put far better numbers than he did.
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