Who Is the GOAT?

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After the Lakers won the 2020 NBA Championship, one question was on everyone’s mind: Who is the GOAT, or greatest of all time? While there have been exceptional basketball players in the past with the likes of Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant (RIP), and so on, and a number of exceptional talents in today’s game including KD, Steph Curry, and many more, the GOAT argument usually comes down to two: Lebron James and Michael Jordan. 

Lebron, who led the Lakers to the championship and was named the finals MVP, has a very strong case. Lebron James was drafted right out of high school with the first pick in the 2003 NBA draft, and was maybe the most hyped up prospect of all time. He didn’t disappoint, leading a Cavs team whose starting lineup was made up of players who shouldn’t be starting in the NBA. Lebron James is the only player, in our opinion, that can guard positions 1-5 at an elite level. 

Jordan also has a very strong case. “I think Jordan is better than Lebron,” said Senior basketball star, Zymir Faulkner. The documentary series on Jordan, “The Last Dance,” reinforces many people’s opinion that he is the GOAT. Jordan won six championships, winning three in a row two different times. He is the league’s all time leader in player efficiency rating and also wins shares per 48 minutes. He is absolutely iconic. A perfect example of this would be his world famous sneakers, worn by athletes, musicians, and other famous personalities across the planet. “Jordan was one of a kind,” said Sohl Park. However, every human being is technically one of a kind, so this is an awfully silly argument for Jordan. 

Lebron though, is the better basketball player. Sure, Jordan has more rings, but he has had better teammates, the greatest coach to ever live, and less competition. If the Golden State Warriors team that Lebron has had to face existed in Jordan’s era, Jordan would likely have less rings than Lebron. Being able to beat this team once should be a strong case for Lebron being the GOAT. “He came back from down 3-1 in the finals against the greatest team of all time, he is the GOAT,” said Senior Noah van Boswinkel Magrum. Also, many of the players in the league at the time weren’t as athletic and were also frequently doing cocaine, as we saw in “The Last Dance.” A Washington Post article from 1980, only four years before Jordan was drafted, estimated that, while there is no empirical evidence on exactly how many players were doing cocaine in the league, “estimates by people in the game range from 40 percent to 75 percent, with perhaps as many as 10 percent getting high with free base (another form of the drug).”

There is no question that if Lebron played in Jordan’s era, nobody could touch him. “If you think Jordan is better than Lebron, you have issues,” said basketball fan, Daniel Espinoza. 

While Jordan was an icon and changed the game of basketball forever, Lebron is the better basketball player, and therefore the GOAT. This year, at 35, Lebron looked as if he was still in his athletic prime, so there is no evidence that he is done yet. He is the GOAT already but could potentially be goated even more.