Finally, Michael Jordan addressed the debate about who is the greatest basketball player of all time on NBC’s ‘Insights to Excellence’. Some voices raise LeBron James, even Kobe Bryant or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to the status of ‘GOAT’.
We paved the way for Kobes and LeBrons
“Does LeBron have a perfect 6-0 record in his NBA Finals appearances? No. Does he have as many MVPs as Jordan? No. Was his impact on the sports world in general the same? No,” says Sports Illustrated.
I would have loved to play against LeBron James and Kobe Bryant in my prime. I would have loved to play against them, but we’ll never know
Michael Jordan: “The term GOAT will never be something that makes me proud. It just doesn’t exist for me”
Michael Jordan believes that a level of “animosity” can be generated by the constant debate over who is the greatest basketball player of all time.
“The term GOAT is never something that will make me feel proud. It just doesn’t exist for me,” he replied to Mike Tirico.
Michael Jordan: “The beauty of basketball is that one player after another has evolved the game”
Jordan argued that “I never played against Oscar Robertson or Jerry West. I would have loved to. I’m a competitor and I learned from them, and we paved the way for the Kobes and LeBrons.”
“For me, that’s the beauty of basketball: that one player after another has evolved the game even more. But, from my point of view, don’t use that against the player who taught you the game or the one you learned from. That’s why I have a hard time with it,” he said.
“I would have loved to play against LeBron James and Kobe Bryant at my best. I would have loved to play against them, but we’ll never know,” he admitted.
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