Ever since LeBron James made a case to be considered one of, if not the best player in NBA history, the GOAT debate has constantly been a talking point in the league. While many claim the King has already won that status, others believe it will always belong to Michael Jordan.
But do the legends in question actually care about this conversation? According to Carmelo Anthony, who entered the league in the same draft class as LeBron and even got to play next to him at the Lakers, pursuing the GOAT tag has a different meaning for James.
“I think Mike did it already. So Mike is the target…But then you have a young man who is coming along who understands ‘[GOAT status] is what I’m coming for’ the same way MJ was talking about coming for those 11 rings,” Anthony said in a recent episode of 7 PM in Brooklyn, as quoted by ClutchPoints. “So I’m going on a journey of being great and through that journey, there’s going to be a point in time where if I do what I have to do, I will be in that conversation with my idol.”
A never-ending debate
No matter how tired some basketball fans are about this topic, every year the GOAT question somehow makes the conversation. It may be hard to determine who’s the No. 1, as both sides have fair points.
Jordan has revolutionized the game of basketball back in the 90s, helping to make the NBA the global phenomenon it is today. His unique abilities immediately changed the destiny of the Chicago Bulls, a franchise that, thanks to MJ, reached unprecedented levels of popularity and success.
Jordan went on to win six NBA championships as the face of one of the most emblematic dynasties in sports history, setting an example with his hard work and winning mentality. MJ inspired not only his teammates, but also millions of kids who wanted to play basketball, such as LeBron.
But James then came in and has been a force of nature from the get-go. The King left Cleveland at some point to chase his first ring in Miami, but after winning two championships with the Heat, he decided to go back to the Cavaliers to deliver the city a highly desired success. Stephen Curry’s Warriors didn’t make it easy, but James managed to achieve his goal. With the Lakers’ championship in 2020, James made it four rings with three different teams.
When it’s all said and done, fans will probably compare the full stats and achievements of both MJ and LeBron to determine who’s the definitive GOAT.
