Among NBA fans and analysts, there is a question that always results in heated debate. That question is “who is the GOAT?”. It’s hard to definitively pick the greatest player ever. Even Michael Jordan isn’t indisputably considered the GOAT, and there have been plenty of people who have suggested that LeBron James or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar may be the GOAT.
Former Warriors superstar Rick Barry believes that there cannot be just one GOAT in a team sport. When speaking on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Barry suggested that we have to “pick the players by position”, as each position’s demands and skill sets are different. He aptly stated that “You cannot compare Magic Johnson to Wilt Chamberlain” and it’s easy to see his line of reasoning.
"You cannot, in team sports, pick the greatest player of all-time"
🔊 @Hoophall SF @Rick24Barry tells @talkhoops & @LegsESPN how the NBA should release the 75th anniversary team. #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/k1lzgfEFDR
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) October 10, 2021
Why does everybody want to talk about the GOAT?… Everybody talks about the GOAT. You cannot, in team sports, pick the greatest player of all-time. It has to be by position.
So if they want to do something, pick the players by position. The problem is now, you don’t have guys that are classified as centers. You look to see the GM survey that they had. The GMs are talking and voting about players, and putting different players in 3 different positions.
Talk about the bigs, have the conversation, who is the greatest center of all time? Who is the greatest power forward? Who is the greatest small forward? Who is the greatest two guard. Who is the greatest point guard.
Now you can have a meaningful discussion. You can’t compare Magic Johnson to Wilt Chamberlain. You just can’t do that. Because the skills required to play each position are different. So I go nuts, when I hear Michael’s the greatest… oh no, LeBron’s the greatest of all time, he’s the gratest of all time. Have a discussion about positions, and now you can have some fun.
There is no question that there have been a number of players who have great cases for being the GOAT of their respective generations. Rick Barry isn’t the only one who believes that picking one GOAT is a futile exercise. Other former legends have had similar sentiments in terms of multiple players being able to be considered for the title, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once stated that “there’s no such thing as the GOAT” as everyone played in different circumstances.
Of course, this debate will rage on among fans, even if some former legends believe that there is no player that is the specific GOAT. It remains to be seen if anyone in the future can stop this debate once and for all, but as of now, there is no undisputed greatest player in basketball.
