The debate about who the greatest NBA player of all time is has been raging on for years, and Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is one of the few players at the very center of that debate.
Though many agree that James has already done enough to be considered the G.O.A.T., there are still many who don’t ascribe to that belief.
James’ agent and old friend Rich Paul believes that age is a major factor when it comes to who thinks James is the greatest. More specifically, Paul believes that the older generation of NBA players and fans will never give James credit for the amazing accomplishments that he’s enjoyed throughout his career.
“You see these guys on TV every day speaking about rings… Well if it’s about the rings then it’s Bill Russell”
“LeBron been in the finals for half of his career”
– Rich Paul on the GOAT debate pic.twitter.com/u4Lnm51Uur
— ⁶ (@SpeakContext) April 14, 2023
“There’s a older generation on TV everyday with those slots,” he said. “They’re never going to give LeBron that credit. … LeBron’s been to the Finals half his career, right? So, that’s pretty hard to do, and it’s just a matter of who has the microphone.”
It’s definitely an interesting point, and a lot of NBA fans have — at this point — probably accepted that there will never be a definitive greatest of all time. After all, the debate is half the fun.
When it comes to his legacy, the only thing James himself can control is how much he is able to achieve on the basketball court. With his team’s win earlier this week over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the play-in tournament, James officially now has another shot to win an NBA title.
If he and the Lakers were to overcome the odds and win a title this season, it would mark James’ fifth ring and his second with the Lakers. That total would put him right on par with the late legend Kobe Bryant and just one behind Michael Jordan.
Given all of the trials and tribulations the Lakers have undergone this season, James winning another title this year would possibly be enough to convince some to give him the top spot in the G.O.A.T. debate. However, there would definitely still be others with the steadfast belief that James is not the greatest ever.
James and the Lakers will start their 2023 playoff journey on Sunday afternoon against the Memphis Grizzlies.
