The never-ending debate on who’s the NBA GOAT have been brought plenty of opinions from former players in the league. In this case, Boston Celtics legend Ray Allen talked about something different, as he already made its decision. This time, Allen exposed a weakness in Michael Jordan‘s game where LeBron James is pretty good at.
Since there are plenty of topics in which the debate can be discussed, the only thing that really make the difference between Jordan and LeBron is their skills. Both of them have lots of titles and individual awards, but there is a difference in how they changed the game.
However, Allen talked more about the skills from each of them, as he made himself clear his decision in the GOAT debate. On his comments, he talked about the big difference between MJ and LeBron in The Dan Patrick Show back in 2018.
“It’s hard to say if LeBron is a better all around player than Michael. LeBron is probably one of the best passers in the league, but that’s probably the weakness part that MJ had, he wasn’t a good passer,” Allen said. “He didn’t pass a lot, and at the same time Jordan had other weaknesses in his game, but defensively he was just dominant.”
Allen reflects on facing Jordan
After discussing the differences between Jordan and LeBron, Allen shared some insights on his experiences playing against MJ. During the interview with Dan Patrick, Allen was told that the key distinction between the two legends was their mentality. According to Patrick, Jordan had a more aggressive approach on the court, determined to dominate his opponents at all costs.
When asked if Jordan was mean to him, Allen responded with a laugh. “No, he wasn’t. He actually killed me slowly,” he said. “He would say to the coach, ‘He’s actually doing a great job out here, and meanwhile, he was born at 45,’” Allen recalled, reflecting on Jordan’s signature mind games.
Celtics legend went on to share a vivid memory from his rookie season. “I remember Chris Ford yelling at me the whole time, ‘Rookie, get in front of him! Get in front of him!’ And MJ just kind of glided across the floor, got the ball, shook, and scored. I did everything the game plan said, but it didn’t matter,” he admitted.
Allen weighs in on Kobe Bryant’s greatness
Another name frequently mentioned in the GOAT debate is Kobe Bryant. Some former players have even called him the greatest of all time. Allen, reflecting on Bryant’s legacy, also spoke about his historic 81-point game.
“It’s hard to really compare generations,” Allen said. “If you look at what MJ did during his era—I played in between both of those eras—the rules were totally different. You can’t even touch a guy now,” he added, highlighting the evolving nature of the NBA.