When it comes to basketball, the debate for the GOAT seems way off sometimes, due to the different check-lists for needs to be done in order to call an NBA player the Greatest of All Time. For Michael Jordan, his six consecutive championships with the Chicago Bulls, and him as the leader of that team made him a name among the legends.
For Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the years have passed but there's still a record that even with the three point line, nobody has ever been near, its the all-time leading scorer record. His 38,387 points in a 20-year professional career in basketball, sets Abdul-Jabbar in between the 'Mount Rushmore' of American basketball.
However, LeBron James is close to pass that record this season, if he gets certain amount of points per game. This could make him enter again for the GOAT debate, alongside his four NBA Championships, and multiple individual awards. However, for Shaq, the GOAT debate is settled for a handful of legends.
NBA News: Shaq takes another hit to the GOAT debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James
In the latest episode of the ImPaulsive Podcast hosted by Logan Paul, Shaquille O'Neal took the stand and opened up with a question that maybe every NBA fan will make this season. "When LeBron James passes up Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in points, and he will this year, will that make him the greatest player ever (GOAT)?. I think the greatest player's Michael Jordan. LeBron’s about to do something that hasn’t been done in a long time, and I think he will move his name up there. But for me, it’s always Dr. J (Julius Erving), Michael Jordan, Magic [Johnson] and those guys.”
Earlier this year, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made a shocking comment about LeBron James breaking his all-time scoring record in an interview with Jimmy Fallon in The Tonight Show. "The GOAT committee meets in secret, so that’s something we’re never going to know about, but if LeBron (James) breaks my record next year coming up, that will be one last record that I won’t have to worry about ever again.” So, the Sky-Hook creator also knows LeBron will make a name for himself in the debate for the GOAT when he passes up his all-time scoring record.
Other NBA legend such as Julius Erving said that the GOAT debate is between fans, and not between NBA players or former stars. As well as Allen Iverson, who put Kobe Bryant in the debate for the GOAT instead of LeBron James.
