Chicago Bulls: MJ thinks Oscar Robertson is the best of all-time

Former Chicago Bulls legend and shooting guard Michael Jordan apparently doesn’t think of himself as the greatest player of all time.

The Chicago Bulls all-time great shooting guard Michael Jordan sat in the midst of the NBA spotlight while the 2019-20 season was on pause. Thanks to just the great memories he brings back for so many basketball fans, and namely the premier of “The Last Dance” 10-part docuseries, the discussion really couldn’t get away from Jordan for the four months while the 2019-20 season was on pause in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The conversation didn’t really shift from naming Jordan as the still standing greatest player in NBA history. But it did focus on his greatness on and off-the-court, and storylines that shadowed over his career during his run with the Bulls and Washington Wizards.

Jordan’s portrayal of himself and his teammates in The Last Dance drew praise and criticism from different sides. He seemingly controlled the tone of how the docuseries was put together, so it was sure to gain it’s fair share of critics no matter what.

One of the more interesting views that came about after the premier of all 10 parts of The Last Dance was the perspective of Jordan on himself and who he felt is the greatest player in NBA history. There were multiple times in the last few decades, and a few different sources, that noted that Jordan doesn’t think he is the GOAT.

In a recent interview with the former Bulls, Detroit Pistons, and Los Angeles Lakers big man John Salley on the YouTube channel VladTV, this conversation got an added perspective. A former teammate of MJ’s during the 1995-96 season in Chicago, Salley noted that the legendary shooting guard didn’t think he was the GOAT, but that the former San Antonio Spurs Hall-of-Famer Oscar Robertson is.

Jordan and Robertson are both very accomplished players that ranked among the best in NBA history. But most numbers do prove that the former of those two is the more accomplished and greater player in this respect. Robertson is a one-time NBA Champion, one-time MVP, and 12-time All-Star selection. Meanwhile, Jordan is a 14-time All-Star selection, six-time NBA Champion, and five-time MVP.

An interesting nugget there is that Robertson has noted in the past decade that he doesn’t think that Jordan is the GOAT either, but that the Lakers superstar forward LeBron James is. Scottie Pippen has noted that in the past as well.

The point here should be that every great player that ever played in the NBA is going to have their own warranted opinion on who the GOAT is. Jordan has a valid point, as do Pippen and Robertson. Salley would know his former teammate well, so this should be considered a credible source on Jordan’s thought process from back in the day too.

The ongoing GOAT debate usually involves Jordan and LeBron. And that should continue, especially if the latter of those two takes the Lakers to an NBA Championship this season.