LeBron James let it by known very early in his career that his ultimate goal was to one day surpass Michael Jordan as the greatest basketball player who ever lived. James has certainly done his darnedest. Some people believe because of his longevity of excellence, James has achieved that goal. Others are equally certain that Jordan is still the G.O.A.T.
Los Angeles Lakers team owner Jeannie Buss did not mince words when providing her opinion.
Lakers owner Jeanie Buss calls Jordan the GOAT đź‘€ pic.twitter.com/OFQr43t6j1
— FootBasket™ Newswire (@Foot_Basket) August 12, 2022
“Michael Jordan is the greatest of all-time,” Buss said.
Despite the fact that James currently plays on her Lakers team, she clearly believes that Jordan still owns that distinction.
When laying out the case for James, the fact that he has played so long is a big part of it. LeBron just finished his 19th year in the NBA. He has won four NBA titles on three different teams, taking home NBA Finals MVP each time. During his third championship, James became the first player in NBA history to lead all players in the finals in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. He has won four NBA MVP Awards and reached the NBA Finals eight consecutive seasons.
Michael Jordan, on the other hand, did not play nearly as long. Jordan played 15 seasons, but the last two with the Washington Wizards most prefer to discount. Nevertheless, Jordan was arguably the best player in the world from 1986 through 1997. During that time, he won six NBA Championships, including two three-peats. He led the league in scoring 10 out of 11 years, while also being one of the best defenders in the NBA.
You can't go wrong with either player. One has to wonder if Buss will change her mind if James can bring her title number 18, passing the Boston Celtics for most in NBA history.
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