The GOAT conversation in the NBA is one that fascinates many despite the fact that it’s almost impossible to accurately compare guys who played in different eras. The league has been around for over 75 years and has undergone drastic changes over time, but that doesn’t stop folks from debating on who is exactly the greatest.
Michael Jordan and LeBron James tend to be the two names most prominently featured in the debate, thanks to all they have accomplished during their storied careers, but according to Byron Scott, neither of the two are the greatest. He instead bestowed that title on his former teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and despite their obvious Laker connections, it can hardly be considered a biased opinion.
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“As much as I love MJ and everybody has already said he’s the greatest, and I think it’s hard to say who’s the greatest because of eras because Kareem, to me, was the greatest. You know when you look at what he did in high school, college, pros, there’s no resume close to his.” Scott went on to add, “When it comes down to body of work I think he’s the greatest of all time.”
Kareem was a winner at every possible level, as he won 3 straight championships in high school with Power Memorial Academy and in college as well with UCLA, to go with his 6 NBA titles. He also won a record 6 MVP awards to go with 2 Finals MVPs and remains the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points. Scott isn’t the only one to anoint Kareem as the GOAT, as many others have also pointed to his long list of accomplishments.
For his part, Kareem had a hilarious response when he was asked who is the GOAT, as he refused to give a clear answer.
