On Wednesday night, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James made history by passing the great Wilt Chamberlain for the fifth spot on the all-time scoring list. This is just the latest accolade in LeBron's storied career, as his rise to becoming the GOAT continues to pick up steam.
For most, Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan is the unquestioned greatest basketball player of all time. James comes as a distant second (or third, depending on how highly you think of Kobe Bryant), and to some, he will never be able to reach the heights MJ achieved throughout his tenure.
Nevertheless, one can argue that the qualifications of being the GOAT has to extend way beyond the confines of the basketball court. Greatness on the hardcourt is one thing, but when one is able to use his influence to penetrate the socio-political sphere, the surely, this has to count for something.
This is perhaps the biggest difference between LeBron and Michael.
During his reign as the king of the basketball world, Jordan never really crossed over to the world of politics or social awareness. He maintained the stereotype of an athlete that concerned himself only with his sport. And boy, did he do great things on the basketball court.
However, very few, if anything, can be said about Jordan's involvement in current affairs. To this day, he opts to distance himself from any socially relevant issues.
There are even some who have called Jordan out on his apathy. Recently, Grammy-award winning hip-hop artist and Chicago native, Chance the Rapper, went off on MJ for allegedly failing to speak out on the violence that plagues the streets of his home town. Jordan is by no means required to help make his city a better place, but for people like Chance, his position in the community compels him to at least do his bit.
In an upcoming episode of LeBron's “Shut Up and Dribble” TV series, this fault in Jordan's reputation is put into the limelight. The episode will reportedly tackle MJ's supposed lack of concern with societal issues vis-a-vis LeBron's unbridled involvement in a number of political matters.
For his part, James has been anything but reserved when it comes to openly sharing his two cents worth regarding issues that he deems are socially relevant. LeBron is a staunch critic of United Stated president Donald Trump, and a recent, highly-publicized squabble with the Commander in Chief is just one of the many incidents in which LeBron has found himself in hot waters.
James is truly a polarizing character, and his words/actions have at times drawn the ire of many Americans. Nevertheless, what cannot be mistaken is the fact that LeBron has never been afraid to let his true feeling known — regardless of the cost. The same cannot be said about Michael.
More importantly, James is able to back up his words with actions. He recently spent a fortune to open the I Promise School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio to provide quality education for at-risk children. MJ has surely done his bit for charity, but I don't believe he has gone this far to help the underprivileged.
One might argue that MJ lived in a different time. The advent of the internet and social media has worked in LeBron's favor, as he has been gifted with an avenue that Michael never had. Moreover, athletes were more restrained back in the day, and the line between sports entertainment and socio-political issues was clearly defined, and not to be crossed.
Well, this simply isn't true.
In the late 1960's, a good two decades preceding the rise of Jordan as one of the biggest sports figures in the world, a man that went by the name Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. single-handedly mounted a personal revolution against the US government and its political stance on the Vietnam War. Also known as Muhammad Ali, the world-renowned boxing champion refused to serve in the US Army under the belief that the African American people were being unjustly treated by the government. Ali nearly lost everything fighting for his beliefs.
The point is, standing up for what you believe in is by no means restricted by the times you live in, or by anything else for that matter. Sometimes, remaining silent when one should not — especially if you're in an influential position — is almost the same as being part of the problem.
At the end of the day, it all depends on where you're sitting. If it's purely in the basketball sense, then perhaps, James will need to concede the title of GOAT to Jordan. The pinnacle of the sport is the championship, and in this regard, Jordan's six rings far outweighs LeBron's three. Surely, James still has an outside shot of tying or even passing Jordan's six titles, but the fact that MJ went 6-0 in the Finals (vs. LeBron's current 3-6 record) speaks volumes.
There are a dozen other statistical comparisons that will point to the fact the from a numbers standpoint, Jordan has a far better record than James, propelling MJ to the top of the GOAT conversation.
However, if one's overall impact is used as the ultimate barometer for determining the true GOAT, then surely, James will have a fighting chance. This becomes especially true when LeBron's penchant for involving himself in socially-relevant issues is taken into account. In this regard, it would be difficult not to place LeBron ahead of Michael in the race.
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