It looks like Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki is about to change his mind on the GOAT debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
Nowitzki admitted that Jordan has always been the GOAT for him. However, the Mavs icon couldn't help but heap praise on James and put him in the same category as His Airness. In fact, the German hooper confessed he would be “running out of arguments” if and when James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the NBA scoring record.
“Tremendous that he can still play like this in his Year 20. … I always say that Michael Jordan is the GOAT — if (LeBron) really passes Kareem in the scoring record, I'm running out of arguments for Michael…” Nowitzki told reporters following his statue unveiling ceremony on Christmas Day, per Grant Afseth.
LeBron James is indeed the prime example of dominance and longevity in the NBA. At age 37–turning 38 soon–he continues to be one of the best players in the NBA today. Against the Mavs on Sunday, he even dropped 38 points in a losing effort for the Lakers.
With that said, it's easy to see where Dirk Nowitzki is coming from. While it's hard to topple Michael Jordan as the GOAT, there is no doubt James has made a strong case for himself. As Dirk said as well, the Lakers star is close to breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record, something he could accomplish within the next 30 games with his current scoring average of 27.8 points per game.
GOAT or not, one thing is clear: LeBron, like Dirk and Jordan, is one of the best to ever play basketball in NBA history.
Follow Us
Subscribe