There is not a week that passes by in the NBA world without some mention of the GOAT debate. It is basketball’s eternal question, who is the greatest player in the league’s history? Many players have cases made for them, including the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. But one man remains the consensus pick for most people, and that is His Airness, Michael Jordan.
MJ and his era of domination during the 90s led to most people accepting him as the GOAT. He won two three-peats as the undisputed best player on his team and had the individual achievements to back it up. But King James has become the modern era’s answer to the people that have crowned Jordan, with many saying that the King has surpassed MJ throughout his career.
Many categories can be looked at to arrive at an answer, the stats favor LeBron while the championships favor MJ. James is about to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the all-time points record and will also likely surpass Magic Johnson’s assist tally. This has led to many suggesting that this makes him the GOAT. But some people who are authorities on the subject don’t agree.
Shaquille O’Neal Chose Michael Jordan As The GOAT Over LeBron James
Shaquille O’Neal could easily have become the GOAT himself, he had the tools to do it. But his goal was always to be the most dominant, which he arguably even achieved. Shaq has some thoughts on the debate about the greatest ever, though, and he shared them during a recent appearance on Logan Paul’s podcast, Impaulsive.
(starts at 26:32 minutes):
“It’s hard to name a Top 3. No, I wouldn’t rate myself the best ever. But I have a question for you and the panel when LeBron passes up Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in points this year, will that make him the greatest player ever?
“It’s an interesting question. I think the greatest player ever is Michael Jordan. LeBron is about to do something that hasn’t been done in a long time and it’ll move his name up there. But for me, it’s always Dr. J, Michael Jordan, Magic, and those guys.
“I do look at LeBron, but I also like listening to people’s opinions. Listen, Jordan was the greatest in my opinion.”
This is a well-thought-out take from O’Neal, he has an established position in the debate. Having played against both Jordan and LeBron, he is also uniquely qualified to give his opinion on the matter. Seems as far as the big man is concerned, MJ remains the GOAT.
