LeBron James’ all-time scoring record-breaking performance reignited the NBA’s never-ending GOAT argument.
Michael Jordan is still the greatest ever for most NBA fans, but James’ greatness is getting harder and harder to ignore. And there are plenty in the younger generation that thinks James has already done enough to be considered the GOAT.
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LeBron James has a few younger teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers, guys who grew up watching him be the NBA’s best player. Lonnie Walker IV and Austin Reaves are among those. And Walker recently explained how he and Reaves think of LeBron as the greatest to ever do it.
“(LeBron James is the GOAT) By far. There’s not really much to think about. Me and AR (Austin Reaves) were talking about it. LeBron is almost too perfect. The only thing he can’t do is shoot free throws. He’s perfect but God was like, ‘Alright, there’s one thing I’m not going to give you.'”
This is an interesting take, and it is hard to argue that there is something LeBron James doesn’t have when it comes to his NBA game. As an individual player, he is as complete as anyone else has been in the history of basketball. But there are still things he is behind Michael Jordan in, as others have pointed out.
Stephen A. Smith On Why Michael Jordan Is The GOAT Over LeBron James
To a vast majority of people that saw Michael Jordan play, he is still the greatest ever over LeBron James. Even Allen Iverson, who gave James his flowers, spoke about how Jordan would still always be at the top of the pyramid for him. And Stephen A. Smith gave his reasoning as to why as well.
“But I told you before, he never was, he never has been, nor will he ever be greater than Michael Jordan – it will never happen. LeBron has six losses, LeBron didn’t show up in one NBA Finals which was against Dallas… He is nothing short of phenomenal. But my mind on this specific topic will never change – LeBron James is No 2 all-time and Michael Jordan is No 1.”
Michael Jordan has won two three-peats and never lost in the NBA Finals, which is the ultimate card that most people cannot let go of in the GOAT debate. There is a lot of nuance to any discussion on this topic, but unless James can win a championship or two more, the consensus is unlikely to change.
Source: https://fadeawayworld.net