Chicago Bulls: Stephen A. Smith reaffirms MJ as the GOAT
The Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan should still hold a big edge in the GOAT debate over Lakers superstar LeBron James.
No matter what LeBron James does with the Los Angeles Lakers this playoff run, it’s going to be difficult for him to come close what legendary shooting guard Michael Jordan did during the dynasty years of the 1990’s with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan’s six titles are still twice as many as LeBron has at the moment. And Jordan never lost in the NBA Finals. LeBron has lost as many Finals series as Jordan has rings.
Just because the GOAT debate still slants in Jordan’s favor doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate the greatness of each of these two all-time greats in their own right. It’s hard to fault the logic that LeBron isn’t at least the second best player in NBA history.
And sure, there’s still a chance that LeBron could rally alongside superstar big man Anthony Davis with the Lakers to win at least another title or two. That’s not completely out of the question.
The GOAT debate was something that Stephen A. Smith of ESPN’s “First Take” spoke on earlier this week. He joined up with The Breakfast Club crew to talk on LeBron, among other topics.
Smith still backs Jordan as the best player in NBA history saying “all day, every day, Jordan is the GOAT”. He did mention that LeBron is still in his top two or three. But he thinks the Lakers star had an easier path to playoff success overall and has many more Finals losses than the Bulls all-time great shooting guard.
Once again LeBron is nearly averaging a triple-double per game throughout the playoff run, now with the Lakers. But now he has a running mate in AD that might be more efficient and potent at this point of his career than LeBron is himself.
The top-seeded Lakers will get to figure out on the night of Sep. 27 if in fact they will be facing the five-seed Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. Former Bulls star Jimmy Butler could push the Heat to the Finals on this night, or the three-seed Boston Celtics could live to fight another day.
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What we do know is that it will be tough for LeBron to pass up Jordan realistically in the GOAT debate no matter what he does in this playoff run the rest of the way. It would take three more championships for him to match Jordan, and in more seasons with more different teams.