When NBA fans talk about Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, things can get pretty heated.
Of course, there are many who believe that James is the best player in the history of the game. There are others who believe that there are other players who deserve more adulation.
Former NBA coach George Karl recently declared that one easy way to get James’ fans riled up is to declare that Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan is the greatest of all time.
Learned this week there are four simple words to really piss off Lakers fans: Michael is the GOAT. 😆🐐 pic.twitter.com/UyKKz9sHgp
— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) January 14, 2023
The truth is that this conclusion is neither new nor original. For well over a decade, NBA fans have debated where James lands on the list of greatest NBA players of all time. The argument sometimes ends when the topic of NBA Finals comes up.
Jordan finished his career with six NBA titles, while James is still trying to win his fifth.
With that in mind, when it comes to basically every other category, James really makes an argument that he is indeed the greatest to ever don an NBA uniform. For starters, he is very close to passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league’s all-time scoring leader.
Abdul-Jabbar has the record with 38,387 points. James is breathing down his neck now with 37,989 points. The fact that James is basically guaranteed to become the new leader later this season is not only a testament to his incredible skill, but also to his longevity.
He is essentially rewriting the book when it comes to what people think is possible for an elder statesman in the league to accomplish.
At 38 years old, he is older than almost every other NBA player in the league. He is so old in NBA terms that he is now playing against the sons of players that he once competed against earlier in his career.
Despite that, James is putting up an astounding 29.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game.
Every offseason, pundits and fans alike wonder if the upcoming season will prove to be the one in which James takes a step back due to his age. James has proven those doubters wrong every time.
Whether or not his accomplishments end up converting fans who believe that Jordan is still the greatest ever remains to be seen.
