The basketball GOAT debate has been ongoing for decades. The most common discussion has been between Michael Jordan (MJ) and Lebron James. However, Jordan played from the 1980s-2000s, while Lebron started in the 2000s and is currently playing. So how can these two players be compared if they played in different eras? Both of them are phenomenal and we might never see people dominate and change the game the way they did, but to compare them when they had completely different teams/players is pointless.

Some people say that Jordan shouldn’t be considered one of the greats because of the break he took in the 1993-1994 season. Although he did leave the Chicago Bulls to play in the MLB, this doesn’t discount the incredible impact he had on the league. Since Lebron and Jordan played in different eras, it is almost impossible to compare them. This is because basketball has changed massively over the past few decades. The rules have shifted, and the ability to score, defend, rebound, and pass has become much harder. Bron and MJ exceeded in all these skills. However, Jordan was an extremely skilled shooter and a defensive dynamo, while James is a rebounding machine and possibly one of the greatest passers of all time. With both players being good at different aspects of the game, it doesn’t make any sense to say one better than the other. There are certain skills that both Jordan and Bron could be better at. Michael is also a 6’6 shooting guard and Lebron played every single position at 6’9. James is almost twice Jordan’s size, so their playstyles are not similar. Jordan is a post-up powerhouse with impeccable footwork. He is always able to use the best angle to score and has a mastery of using the backboard for his most iconic move, the fadeaway. Lebron is always scouting the court and looking to pass more; he is a remarkable playmaker and it separates him from MJ. Bron’s scoring is also very underrated; he’s a freak athlete but can score on every level. He has elite guard skills when being a power forward. Bron is a relentless finisher and his being on the all-time scoring list with 38652 points directly explains why he’s so unstoppable.

As I mentioned before, people say that MJ is the GOAT because he holds 6 championships and Lebron holds 4. However, does the amount of championships a player has determine how good they are? If that’s the case, why isn’t Bill Russel in this conversation, when he won 11 championships, 8 in a row? Basketball is a team sport and besides skills, in order to win, the right leadership, confidence, determination, and a strong mind are all required. There is no such thing as a “solo player.”

I think, without a doubt, Lebron James is the GOAT of this generation, with what he’s accomplished (such as passing Kareem-Abdul Jabbar for the all-time scoring list and winning finals MVP for three different teams). He is simply unstoppable. James brought the 2018 Cavaliers, a team that was filled with inexperienced players, to the NBA finals. An accomplishment nobody expected to happen, Bron did the unthinkable and carried the Cavaliers the entire regular and playoff season. This doesn’t disregard Micheal Jordan’s dominance, however. In his rookie year, he had 30 games where he scored 30+ points; in 7 of those games he had around 40 points. His career high during his rookie season was 49 points. Jordan was one of the best players in the league in his first year in the NBA. Keep in my mind that Micheal and Bron’s rookie years are 19 years separate, so they would have to play with different rules and teams. There are also players like Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem-Abdul Jabbar who are left out of this debate. Both of them ruled basketball during their career and were twice as skilled as everyone else. It wasn’t even fair to play against them, because they were 7-footers with unstoppable post moves, most notably from Kareem—the skyhook. Wilt Chamberlain is probably the most athletic NBA player ever and had the craziest stat lines we’ve ever seen. During his time playing, there wasn’t much competition because not many players were as skilled or athletic as Wilt. Players that controlled the game in different eras cannot be compared perfectly, and accolades do not provide a correct visualization of a player’s impact on the game.

Overall, Michael Jordan and Lebron James are extraordinary players and influenced many people along the way. Their impact and dedication to the game were unlike anybody else in the NBA. They absolutely dominated in their era which is exactly why one can’t be considered better than the other. However, the GOAT debate will continue no matter what. An agreement about who should be the greatest will most likely not happen. Each player’s accomplishments and impact on the game will always be argued. The GOAT debate is simply a matter of opinion and cannot be settled by statistics or facts.

By Pranav Parlapall