Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is often excluded in the GOAT discussions—which fans think is a fight between Michael Jordan and LeBron James—but the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers legend believe it's something that will never be answered.
In an interview with NBA insider Marc Stein, KAJ revealed his true thoughts on being snubbed in the GOAT debate despite being the league's all-time leading scorer. Not to mention that he's a six-time champion (one with the Bucks, five with the Lakers), six-time MVP, 19-time All-Star, and a defensive juggernaut with 11 All-Defensive Team selections.
Abdul-Jabbar admitted that talking about the greatest basketball player of all time is fun, but in the end, there are too many factors to consider to put someone over the other—probably much like his case.
“GOAT discussions are fun, like debating who’s faster: Superman or the Flash. It’s a metaphysical mystery. The question can never be answered because players from the past were trained under different restrictions and played under different rules,” the Lakers icon explained. “Then you have to ask what to give more weight to: Scoring, defense, assists? All of them? But the stats don’t always reveal the particular conditions and challenges of each season. Way too many variables. How about we just discuss the O’GOAT (One of the Greatest of All-Time)?”
To be fair, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar makes a great point. While Michael Jordan and LeBron James both dominated in their respective eras, looking at stats and accomplishments alone won't settle the debate. After all, there are players who won more titles, scored more points, dished out more assists, blocked more shots, and whatever stat is there.
Sure, sometimes the GOAT talks fall to the narratives, which is why His Airness' undefeated NBA Finals record has always been fascinating. But then again, as the Lakers great mentioned, the lack of criteria makes it hard to really have one true GOAT.
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