The GOAT debate has become an intense topic in the past few years, especially after LeBron James won his 4th championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. While Michael Jordan has still been the pick for most fans of basketball, LeBron’s longevity and continued elite production have gained him more supporters than ever before.
James individually has enjoyed his most prolific season since his early years in the league with the Lakers in the 2021-22 campaign but the Lakers failing to even make it to the play-in has impacted his legacy as the GOAT in the eyes of many fans. And one fan has now declared the GOAT debate to officially be over, seeing that James has played with 4 other Hall Of Famers this season.
https://twitter.com/DrGuru_/status/1511562604728229895
“There is no more ‘GOAT debate’. Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.”
James may have surpassed MJ statistically but Jordan’s imperious record in the NBA Finals has always seemed out of reach for the King. While a lot of fans seem to agree that the Lakers’ disappointing this season is a huge factor in the conversation, others are seemingly still backing LeBron in the debate.
“There was never a debate. MJ always been the GOAT.”
“LeBron scoring 30pts a game in year 19, literally BY FAR the greatest season by a 37 year old or someone in year 19 and this disqualifies him? NBA Twitter is an asbolute joke.”
“There never was a ‘GOAT debate’ you can’t compare two different types of players in two different eras.”
“Stop bringing up Lebron’s name in any “GOAT” conversation.”
“Wild bc I’ve always been told it’s better to miss the playoffs than lose the finals.”
“If MJ’s your GOAT, he was gonna be your GOAT no matter what happened this season. We gotta stop pretending like the door is open.”
“Like we gotta be serious about this at some point Bron #2 and somebody gotta be.”
“LeBron had more talent at his peak, but never had the same killer instinct to win like MJ, which made MJ a better player.”
“I’m glad this is settled now. MJ is the GOAT.”
“Don’t forget, Jordan missed the playoffs twice too.”
“No goat debate because a player in his 19th season couldn’t carry a team of bums to the playoffs. Okay.”
Considering the disarray that the franchise finds itself in, LeBron James doesn’t look too close to adding to the number of championships he has won, meaning that for some people, he will never be the GOAT. Comparing across eras is always a tricky situation but if a player’s team fails to make it to even the 10th seed, that season will likely always count against them when the standards of what it means to be the greatest are so high.
