As the clock hit zero, Lebron James let out a shout of triumph as he and his teammates rushed to the court to celebrate winning another championship for Los Angeles. The celebration was different this year: with no fans present at the arena, the only sounds the audience could hear from home were the Lakers’ cheers of joy as confetti fell in the stadium. A few minutes later, the Lakers were officially presented their 17th Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, tied for the most NBA championships along with the Boston Celtics. Not surprisingly, Lebron James was named the NBA Finals MVP for his incredible performance during the Finals. As salty as I am that the Raptors didn’t go back to back, I couldn’t help but admire Lebron James’ skill and longevity in the league. There is a reason why we aren’t surprised that he is the Finals MVP: Lebron is considered one of the greatest basketball players that has ever lived and is often compared to Michael Jordan. But is Lebron James the GOAT (Greatest of All Time)?
I’ll admit, I never really liked the conversation about who is the GOAT, it’s like comparing apples to oranges. Each player is unique in their own way in terms of their playing style and skill set. Many lambast Lebron’s reputation for falling short in championship wins with the Miami Heat or the Cleveland Cavaliers. I would argue that winning the most titles doesn’t necessarily equate to being the GOAT. John Havlicek won eight NBA titles, does everyone think that he’s better than Michael Jordan or Lebron James? Michael Jordan may have more championships than Lebron James but it’s hard to compare the two because they played in different eras with different teammates, rules, and against different teams. In fact, Michael Jordan retired from the NBA two months before Lebron James was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the first overall pick. Perhaps if they had competed against each other on the same stage, it would be easier to determine who is the true GOAT. For now, I’ll present the data and you’ll be the judge.
What I admire the most about Lebron is his longevity and his determination to continue to play basketball at a high level. During his 17-year career in the NBA, Lebron advanced to the playoffs 14 times and reached the NBA Finals ten times. He went to the NBA Finals for eight (!) consecutive years and only missed the 2019 NBA Finals due to injury (aka the Raptors’ championship year!) He has never missed a single playoff game and averaged 42 minutes a night during the NBA Finals. At the age of 35, Lebron averaged 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists in the 2020 NBA Finals and earned a triple-double in the clinching Game 6. In fact, Lebron James’ 11 triple doubles in the NBA finals is more than all other active NBA players combined. He is the only player named the NBA Finals MVP for three different franchises (Miami, Cleveland, and Los Angeles), and won 4 championships within the past decade. Lebron James is the only NBA player with more than 9000 career points, rebounds, and assists, and he still isn’t showing any signs of slowing down after winning his fourth NBA championship.
Michael Jordan won six championships, all of them with the Chicago Bulls, who have not won an NBA championship since Jordan’s last championship in 1998. During his 15-year career in the NBA, Michael advanced to the playoffs 13 times and reached the NBA Finals six times. Michael Jordan won his first three championships with the Bulls in three consecutive years (1991-1993) before abruptly retiring to play some baseball for two years. Michael Jordan returned to the NBA in 1995 and the Bulls made three consecutive NBA Finals appearances from 1996-1998, winning three more championships before Michael Jordan retired again for the second time. Michael Jordan has never missed the playoffs as a Chicago Bull and Jordan’s teams have gone 119-60 in the playoffs. At the age of 35, Michael Jordan won his final championship scoring 45 points and averaged 33.5 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in the deciding Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals. Michael Jordan led the NBA in scoring for 10 seasons, an NBA record. His total of 5987 points in the playoffs is the second highest in NBA history, behind only Lebron James. With five regular season MVPs, six Final MVPs, and three All-Star Game MVPs, Michael Jordan is the most decorated player in NBA history.
So, who is the GOAT? Lebron James and Michael Jordan are both exceptional basketball players whose skill and longevity allowed them to achieve feats that only come around once in a generation. Their accomplishments and contributions to basketball pushed it onto the world stage, inspiring millions to take up the sport and emulate their idols. Perhaps the debate will become clearer once Lebron James retires from the NBA and we get a better sense of his position among the NBA greats. For now, I’ll say that Lebron James is a once in a generation player, and I look forward to watching his NBA career progress in the years to come.
