I unapologetically am a massive fan of LeBron James. Hands down, he is the single most talented player to have ever graced a basketball court. His unique blend of power, speed, handling skills, shooting, defensive vigor (especially in the transition game) and passing has never been seen before, with the exception of maybe Wilt Chamberlain. It will be similarly as long post-LeBron where we see a player who can seriously compare to King James.
LeBron has two decades of utter statistical-and later, postseason-dominance over then NBA. Though nowadays he is physically starting to show signs of aging, he is still generating stat lines comparable to his mid-twenties, despite nearing 38 years of age. Over the years, he has had some peer comparisons, though none have endured; Carmelo, Kobe, Durant and Kawhi all come to mind. Durant being the only consistent Vegeta to LeBron’s Goku. Inevitably, when an athlete has such a stranglehold on the era he competes in, he’ll be compared to those of previous eras. Hence the “Greatest of All Time” (or commonly known as GOAT) debate. The target of LeBron detractors is seemingly always Michael Jordan.
To be clear, I have absolutely nothing against Michael Jordan. He was undoubtedly masterful for the era he played in, forcefully ripping the torch out of the hands of Larry and Magic in the 80’s and then steamrolling the 90’s, with only a cheapshot-loving Detroit team to stymie him along the way. Many consider him to be the GOAT, given his overwhelming ability as a scorer and his ruthless desire to close out games. Jordan certainly was the pre-LeBron GOAT. But now, things have changed, Jordan’s status is no longer bulletproof, and thus we have the GOAT debate.
Jordan fans will point to the jewelry; Jordan has six championships to LeBron’s four. This is the beginning, and only, argument that Jordan fans make. While on the surface, this is sound arithmetic. However, this line of thinking omits a lot of context that Jordan fans are all too happy to ignore; Jordan had a front office that was willing to build around him, while LeBron had to carry lackluster teams for much of his younger years (2007, anybody?). LeBron’s passing, rebounding and longevity far outpace Jordan’s, though nobody considers any of that either (conveniently). The only thing that matters is that 1.) Jordan has more rings and that 2.) Jordan “did it himself” and didn’t leave in free agency-an utterly ridiculous criteria but we’ll accept it at face value for this article. But what if I told you that there is player that far surpasses both Michael Jordan and LeBron James in both of these categories, the True GOAT?
Enter Bill Russell, the Celtics (my beloved C’s!) star big man from the late 50’s until the late 60’s. Russell played 13 years in the NBA, winning eleven (yes eleven) titles during that span. Bill Russell was the defensive anchor for all of these teams and was feared around the league. Wilt Chamberlain, a physical god-among-men that constantly generated video-game statistics, was routinely nullified by Russell in a one-sided rivalry. Russell was clearly in a class by himself. More rings than fingers, and he never left in free agency to accomplish that feat. By Michael Jordan apologists’ own logic, Bill Russell is the true GOAT. Conversation over.
Jordan apologists are however quick to shut down this selection. It wasn’t the same, you can’t compare era’s like that! in a fit of backpedaling-induced defensiveness. This knee-jerk reaction reveals the crux of the entire conversation; the GOAT debate is a total sham. Notice the ending of the acronym; all time. This means that every era counts and hence is on the table. The sixties were just as valid as the nineties, which are just as valid as now. If we as an NBA fanbase cannot universally accept that as a precondition to the GOAT debate, then a true GOAT conversation cannot earnestly happen.
Michael Jordan fans are of course allowed to love their star, we all are. If they were to collectively come out and proclaim We love Michael and nothing will ever change that! then I would celebrate that. However, it is intellectually lazy and/or dishonest to have a Greatest of All Time debate and then not consider all time points. So, if you are arguing in good faith, then the only true answer to the GOAT debate, given the Michael Jordan fanbase’s own criteria, is Bill Russell. R.I.P to a legend.
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