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The debate over whether LeBron James or Michael Jordan is the greatest player in NBA history used to be fun. Now it’s just tired. But the question keeps being asked, and if credible people come up with an answer, we’ll all respond.
Dallas Mavericks head coach and NBA Hall of Famer Jason Kidd is the last to chime in, and he takes LeBron not just for what he’s done on the court, but for what he’s done off it.
That’s strange. I’m not sure how anyone’s extrajudicial contributions have any bearing on determining who is the greatest player of all time. If we’re talking about who had the biggest impact, that’s a different story. But the greatest player? This is about basketball and just basketball.
For my money, Kidd’s right. LeBron is the greatest player of all time. The guy will go down as the all-time leading scorer, and he’s not even a first-goal guy. If we talk about a specific comparison to Jordan, LeBron is bigger, stronger, a better passer, a better ball operator, a more versatile defender; The only real argument you could make for Jordan would be defense and scoring, and again, LeBron has already had more career points.
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You can make the Rings argument if you like. The simple truth is that Jordan has never faced the same type of competition as LeBron. Jordan would by no means be flawless if he had to face the Steph Curry-Kevin Durant Warriors four times or the Duncan-Parker-Ginobili Spurs twice. It just doesn’t happen.
In any case, nobody will change their mind here. Everyone has an opinion, including Kidd. I just don’t agree that what LeBron did off the court, important as it has been in the lives of so many, has anything to do with the GOAT debate.