Stephen A. Smith has provided his most up-to-date opinion on the five greatest players that the NBA has ever seen on First Take. In a special episode airing out of his alma mater of Winston-Salem State, Smith kept Michael Jordan as his GOAT while putting LeBron James as the second greatest of all time.
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“No. 5? The one and only Bill Russell. You can’t have a list of anything in regards to winning and ignore the man who won 11 titles in 13 years, not just as a player but also as a player-coach… No. 4? The one and only Earvin Magic Johnson. The greatest quintessential point guard in NBA history… No. 3 on the list is the one and only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.”
Shannon Sharpe tried putting Jordan at No. 2, prompting Stephen A. and him to start laughing before Smith broke down the top two.
“Shannon tried. LeBron James is the greatest small forward ever, 6’9″, 260, can run, can pass, and give us a show. Those early years where he struggled where the dog that’s in you now wasn’t there are a problem. No. 1? The one and only Michael Jordan. An assassin the likes of we’ve never seen, the greatest in history., Michael Jeffery Jordan.”
The top three on Smith’s list are very uncontroversial, as those three players in that order would be the most common top three all-time players if you were to poll people. The list beyond these three names gets complicated due to people valuing different qualities.
Smith picked Magic Johnson when many modern fans were ready to put Stephen Curry ahead of Magic in the all-time point guard conversation. Bill Russell’s game and era are so antiquated that many fans don’t mention him when it comes to lists like this, especially in the top five.
Many players could round the top five out such as Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, and a couple of others. Ultimately, I can’t say Stephen A. gave us a bad list even though I would take Bird over Magic and Duncan over Russell.
What More Does LeBron James Need To Do To Be The GOAT?
Michael Jordan’s status as GOAT may be untouchable, given the sheer scale of his achievements. No basketball player has had even close to the prime that Jordan enjoyed. He is a six-time champion, six-time Finals MVP, five-time regular-season MVP, one-time Defensive Player of the Year, 10-time scoring champion, 14-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, and nine-time All-Defensive.
These accolades don’t even mention the countless records that Jordan holds. However, LeBron is trying to close the gap to Jordan differently.
As a peak player, LeBron doesn’t have comparable accomplishments. He’s a four-time champion, four-time Finals MVP, four-time league MVP, and a one-time scoring champion with (controversially) no DPOY to his name. But his longevity is unmatched by even Jordan, as James has 19 All-Star and All-NBA appearances, holding the record for most inclusions on both those lists.
Jordan’s career averages of 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.3 steals are better than LeBron’s. But LeBron’s 27.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists are pretty strong, given his more versatile play style. Ultimately, people will pick one or the other based on personal preference.
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