I understand that it is not wise to discuss the GOAT question on the internet, but I was never the brightest kid, so let's do it. LeBron James is the best player in the history. I am not even his fan, but it is impossible to deny the fact.
First of all, with all due respect to legends like Chamberlain, Bird, or Kobe, I think we all agree that the battle for the GOAT title is only between LeBron James and Michael Jordan. To be honest, I believe that Chamberlain was so dominant mostly because everyone else did know how to play basketball at that time. However, my opinion is bias here, and I have not seen too much footage of Wilt in play to judge him. And yet, he is not the GOAT.
It doesn't make a lot of sense to compare the statistics as we all know that both Jordan and LeBron could (and still can in LeBron's case) get as many points/assists as they wanted. That must be clear if you ever watched LeBron's performance during the regular season when he usually uses no more than 70 percent of his energy and power. And it is astonishing that LeBron still remains dominant. He could have won the MVP title as many years as he wished, but he is always more concentrated about winning the league... sadly, his record is not the best.
And that is where Michael Jordan has the upper hand - he has won 6 out of 6 NBA finals in his career while LeBron has a poor 3 out of 8 record. However, we must always look at the teams that both players represented. In most cases, LeBron had a much weaker team when Michael Jordan was always on the side of the favorites.
To be honest, I doubt that any player rather than LeBron would have managed to carry 2017/18 Cavaliers to the NBA final. And he did that at the age of 33 when most of his age players are already either retired or playing maximum 20 minutes per game. LeBron played over 100 games in the season and still pulled off 48 minutes and 35 points against Boston in game 7. That is crazy.
LeBron is also a massive team player. He would rather choose to pass the ball to his open teammate than shoot against the double defense. That is a true sign of a leader. Only the greatest players can put their egos aside and pass the ball to the likes of J.R. Smith in clutch moments. Of course, things don't work out all the time, but the fact that LeBron puts a team over any of his personal achievements is undeniable. That is how you build a legacy.
The way I see things, Lebron is battling against the super teams while Michael Jordon was on the super team. At this moment, both players have spent 15 seasons in the NBA, but the only difference is that LeBron still has at least 5 years ahead of him. And from what we can see, his quality is raising every year. The famous game 7 block to Iguodala has made LeBron the GOAT in my eyes, but what he did last year is beyond explanation. 2016/17 Cavs and 2000/01 76ers are the two weakest teams in NBA finals history and only likes of LeBron and Iverson made it possible for those teams to participate in the finals. To be honest, if Allen Iverson cared about basketball a little more, he could as well become the GOAT. Sadly, this video says it all about his attitude:
I needed to talk about Allen Iverson as he was my favorite player growing up, but let's forget him for now.
I am not arguing the fact that Michael Jordon did incredible things on both ends of the court. I will not argue his importance and clutch games such as the "Flu Game." Hell, I loved Michael Jordan even though I couldn't see him play at his prime as I was too young. And without a doubt, I respect his legacy. And yet, I would still hand the GOAT title to LeBron James, who was never my favorite player.
If you still don't think that LeBron is the greatest, just wait 5 more years. I am sure he will still be dominating the league at 37 as his physical condition is still beyond perfect. I think that is the main reason why I lean toward LeBron - at the age of 33, he is still able to play 48 minutes on the game 7. He is also able to play with a broken hand against the best team in the history of the NBA and score 30 points. Sadly, even LeBron is not able to teach J.R. Smith how to use his brain Maybe JaVale McGee is a better student?
Also, you all need to know that in my opinion, the greatest athletes in any sports live right now. Why? Mainly because technology has evolved enough for athletes to recover faster and push themselves to their limits with minimum risk. Most athletes did not have this privilege before.
All I am saying is that LeBron is Usain Bolt of sprint or Michael Phelps of swimming. I am also certain that all those great athletes will not hold their records forever because more and more possibilities open up every year. Sadly, sports changes as well and if talk about basketball - in today's basketball, LeBron James is the greatest player of all time.
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