Who is the G.O.A.T? MJ or The King?

Ever since LeBron James came back down 3-1 against the best team ever, the Golden State Warriors, and won his third title with the Cavs back in 2016, this has been a legitimate argument we’ve all heard. It seems like everyone and their dog has something to say.

As for me, I’m going to have to go with what seems to be the unpopular choice; LeBron. Don’t get me wrong, though, Michael Jordan was one bad man and I respect his greatness, or I should say goat-ness.

The two are neck and neck in just about everything in terms of basketball. The only thing Michael really has going for him is that Lebron can’t touch is his 6-0 finals record and his free throw shooting.

Although, if you think about it, LeBron’s been to eight straight NBA finals, something only a select few players have done (mainly the Celtics players in the 60’s when there was like 12 teams in the league). He just has issues finishing them off after going up against “Super Teams” like the Warriors and Spurs the past couple years, something Jordan never had to worry about.

The things that set LeBron slightly above MJ in the debate, in my opinion, are his playmaking skills, physical attributes, and his public demeanor off the court.

First of all, LeBron is an absolute godly playmaker. He is currently 11th all-time in assists as a small forward. The 10 players above him are all point guards who bring the ball up and run the offense far more than LeBron does. Even though he does do that a lot for a small forward, he practically invented the point forward position in today’s NBA.

Michael Jordan, on the other hand, is in 44th place, and he has played the same amount of seasons as LeBron. The King just seems to be able to find his teammates on the court and execute plays better, which is something that can’t be taught.

LeBron is a freak of an athlete. He has a once in a lifetime body. Standing at 6’8” 250 pounds, LeBron is a tank, yet he still runs and jumps with the gracefulness of a gazelle. Michael Jordan was 6’6” 215 pounds soaking wet in his hay day, which didn’t necessarily affect him at all in his time. But going against the freak of nature that is LeBron James? Trust me, it would.

Because of his freak size and athletic ability, LeBron can play all five positions on the court at a very high level, creating mismatches against too slow of bigs or too small of guards, which benefits him and his team greatly. MJ, however, really could only play the shooting guard and small forward positions at an elite level.

The thing that sets them the furthest apart in terms of “goat-ness” is the public demeanor and appearance LeBron has. The man has done just about anything you can do outside of the basketball court. Jordan was more of a show up, go to work, and go home type of guy and didn’t touch on much of the political or social aspects LeBron does.

Lebron has spoken out on racial injustices, built his I Promise School which offers free tuition for the less fortunate families in Cleveland. Most recently, his “Bigger than Basketball” campaign has urged basketball players and all athletes alike to open up and speak about things that are important in the world and our country outside of basketball.

So overall, I think I can clearly show that The King slightly edges MJ out in the “G.O.A.T” department. But just as the old saying goes, “goat-ness” is in the eye of the beholder. Or something like that, I think.