Who is the greatest basketball player of all time? People have pondered who the greatest of all time, or GOAT, is for decades due to the ever-changing landscape of the NBA. However, fans of the NBA can agree there are only two men who have the legacy to claim GOAT status: Michael Jordan and Lebron James.
Jordan and James have earned the right to be in contention for this illustrious title. Jordan dominated the late ‘80s and ‘90s, winning six NBA championships in the span of eight years. On the other hand, James has been dominant since he entered the league in 2004 — a year after Jordan retired — and is the only player to surpass the 40,000point mark.
Due to both of their successful reigns, and lack of head-to-head matchups, no one will ever come to a consensus on who is the GOAT. The debate feels like a presidential campaign with how passionate people can be on this subject.
Depending on how one looks at the case, it may seem difficult to find the answer. If you value team dominance and individual awards, Jordan would be the favorite. But, James is still performing at a top level at age 40. By the time Jordan turned 40, he had been retired for four years.
Some older fans feel Jordan is the GOAT due to the era he played in. Back in the ‘90s, defense was the focus of most teams. In the 1997-98 season, Jordan’s last championship season, the average number of points scored in a game was 95.5. Meanwhile, this season has seen a scoring surge among teams as the average points per game today is 114.7.
This leads to some fans questioning if James would be half as great if he played in the ‘90s. However, a recent social media trend might’ve proved James would not only have been as great as he is now, but even better.
Recently on TikTok, there has been a trend supporting James in a way not seen before. Instead of showing James’ highlights as a player, younger people on TikTok are bashing the era Jordan played in. In some videos’ comments, people claim they are “done with the ‘90s.” These videos show how basketball a few decades ago was vastly different in terms of poor offense, lackluster defense and overall not nearly as much intensity as there is today.
I do feel this trend is blown out of proportion, but it does bring up the Achilles heel in Jordan’s GOAT case.
As the NBA has evolved throughout the years, so has the competition. We now see physical specimens from around the world playing the game at a much faster and more efficient pace than in the ‘90s. This has led to players being able to score more frequently even though the defense has not decreased.
This leads me to believe that due to the constant betterment of the talent pool in the NBA, James should be considered the greatest basketball player of all time. I am also a believer that James would not be the GOAT without Jordan creating the blueprint first.
James stated in an interview that Jordan was one of his biggest inspirations. Jordan’s legacy in the game of basketball will live on in James and the hundreds of players who wore his shoes as kids, watched his highlights or saw him play in person.
The GOAT debate has always been tedious. We need to just appreciate what these players did for the league. Plus, it is only a matter of time until James is surpassed in the GOAT conversation by a new young star in the league within the next 20 years.
Quinn Elfers is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to share your thoughts about the column? Let Quinn know by emailing him at me989022@ohio.edu.
