I don't believe in forever, I always believe there will be somebody/something better someday. Anyway MJ on court yes is better then LBJ
I mean the documentary was reviewed by Jordan and tailored to paint a picture of him as the GOAT. I think both sides of the aisle can make valid points. I think one argument in Jordan’s favor was the extent to which he had a global and cultural impact, and what he did for the NBA and its popularity. And, as pointed out in the documentary, this was before everybody knew everything about superstars via social media. The only player who I think comes close to doing what Jordan did on a cultural level is Kobe.
LeBron has either matured, or at least pretends to be a family man and humanitarian. Not sure how that’s worse than Jordan who was openly a complete asshole, picked on his teammates relentlessly, and is a degenerate alcoholic and gambler in addition. By the way, he’s also a total narcissist. But for MJ, that’s just his “drive” and “desire to win.” Ridiculous double standard.
He’s got a higher career FG% and 3ptFG% than MJ. But yeah, MJ was better at making the most inefficient shot in basketball (mid range jumper)
Michael Jordan is clearly the greatest basketball player of all time. Lebron is great, but I'm not sure he makes the Top 3.
Literally my first point in my first comment was in favor of Jordan. Read through this thread. “It’s no contest” “No debate” “Clearly” “Not even close.” If I said “Yeah I think LeBron is the GOAT,” a) I would be in the overwhelming minority on this board, especially after this MJ fluff piece (which Stockton, Malone, Byron Russell and Reggie Miller all initially refused to be interviewed for for that very reason, and Horace Grant said it shouldn’t even be considered a documentary), and b) I would have to pose an argument why. I could then subsequently pose a well thought out argument to support my claim, and then what? I’d be dismissed and nobody’s opinion would change. There is no point. It would be like arguing politics except less annoying
I’ve responded to misinformation in an effort to avoid having this thread turn into a “MJ is by far the GOAT” echo chamber, which is by many measures, an opinion not rooted in fact. I’m not arguing that LeBron is the GOAT. The only argument I’ve made (aside from the one I made in favor of Jordan - weird) is that the two are very comparable
Stop using facts
Seriously, one can make a reasonable argument for either player. It's interesting to see how advanced analytics would have impacted Jordan's game. Jordan would have been even better today with the spreading of the floor and the emphasis on freedom of movement away from the ball. My guess is he would have put more of an emphasis on his 3-point shot. And what Lebron has done with just bad Cleveland teams in helping them get to the Finals and win one against a great team you can never take away from him.
The Last Dance was great, but people need to realize it was completely from Jordan's point of view. He signed off on it, he approved the direction. As long as you realize that, the show (I can't call it a documentary, there wasn't a real exploration of Jordan's gambling issues). And the coloring of his attempt at baseball was not objective. SI and the other media types were unfairly critical about his attempt at baseball. He didn't disrespect the game, but don't feed me bull that a 31-year old who hadn't played in 14 years was going to progress to be a major league player if given another 1-2 years.
I'm just happy I got to see both Jordan and Lebron in their primes. Two of the best to ever play.
Really good post. And I agree 100% - given his work ethic, there’s little doubt that Jordan would have elevated his outside shooting if he had played in the modern game, but it just goes to show what you and others have said: it was a different era and different playing style making it very difficult to make an apples to apples comparisonStop using facts
Seriously, one can make a reasonable argument for either player. It's interesting to see how advanced analytics would have impacted Jordan's game. Jordan would have been even better today with the spreading of the floor and the emphasis on freedom of movement away from the ball. My guess is he would have put more of an emphasis on his 3-point shot. And what Lebron has done with just bad Cleveland teams in helping them get to the Finals and win one against a great team you can never take away from him.
The Last Dance was great, but people need to realize it was completely from Jordan's point of view. He signed off on it, he approved the direction. As long as you realize that, the show (I can't call it a documentary, there wasn't a real exploration of Jordan's gambling issues). And the coloring of his attempt at baseball was not objective. SI and the other media types were unfairly critical about his attempt at baseball. He didn't disrespect the game, but don't feed me bull that a 31-year old who hadn't played in 14 years was going to progress to be a major league player if given another 1-2 years.
I'm just happy I got to see both Jordan and Lebron in their primes. Two of the best to ever play.
Sorry, trying to remove myself from this thread, but I love hoops talk...
