Whenever conversations are made on who the greatest player of all-time is, most people drop the names of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, just to name a few. Although there’s no gauge to identify who the real GOAT is, fans are entitled to defend their choices and make a case for why they chose their player.

For someone like Pat Riley though, who has coached some of the best players in the 1980s and 1990s, whoever he names as the all-time greatest definitely has a strong supporter in him. He recently made his choice known and it's no other than his former player with the Los Angeles Lakers in Magic Johnson.

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Although Riley also witnessed the greatness of the other top choices, publicly making his pick known says a lot on how impressed he was with the former MVP and five-time champion’s skill set. Johnson played nine seasons under the tutelage of the current Miami Heat president, and won all of his titles with him. He also went on to become a 12-time All-Star and nine-time All-NBA First Team member, among his many achievements during his illustrious career.

While many consider Michael Jordan as the GOAT, Riley’s choice will be very hard to contest as Johnson is a proven winner, and continues to have an impact in the NBA now that he is a front office executive as well. The debates will carry on, especially with new players emerging as all-time talents, but Johnson will always be included in those talks, and will also be a popular choice for any basketball fan.