The NBA’s greatest players are constantly mentioned in the same breath as one another, with their accolades and achievements often being compared. The GOAT debate has become a staple of conversation among fans, and even though it has recently come down to Michael Jordan or LeBron James, there are other candidates as well.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has a solid case to be considered the GOAT, Bill Russell, and Wilt Chamberlain as well. And as far as most Lakers fans are concerned, Kobe Bryant being omitted from the conversation regularly is tantamount to blasphemy. So with all this being considered, it’s a miracle that the majority even agrees on one candidate, but Michael Jordan is widely thought of as the greatest ever.
But if another conversation is brought into the picture, which is how would the all-time NBA draft go, then things get a little more interesting. It’s not just the achievements that need measuring, it’s also the player’s impact and their style of play. And that usually leads to a much wider variety of answers.
NBA Fans Debate Which Legend Would Go No. 1 Overall In An All-Time NBA Draft
With LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar taking the Top 3 slots on a lot of lists, the question of who would go No. 1 overall among them is an interesting one. And Kobe is arguably the greatest player in the most storied NBA franchise history, so he can’t be excluded. This is why, when this question was asked, fans made a lot of different choices.
“MJ of course.”
“It has to be LeBron James, the greatest No. 1 pick ever.”
“MJ, Because historically SG is the weakest position.”
“If its outta these 4, i gotta go with Bron, because of his versatility and leadership.”
“MJ easy anyone saying otherwise has lost it.”
“I would always take Kobe.”
“LeBron he’s complete and longevity.”
“It’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.”
“Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.”
“GOAT James.”
“Kobe for me.”
“MJ Next question!”
All 4 have received multiple votes in this particular situation, but Michael Jordan and LeBron James are still in a tier by themselves. It’s hard to imagine anyone other than those 2 being first in an all-time draft, although other greats will always be a consideration. Whoever anyone else may pick, Charles Barkley will likely never live down choosing Allen Iverson when he got the opportunity in a TV segment.
