There shouldn’t really be any doubt in anyone’s mind, but the GOAT debate should usually start and end with the Chicago Bulls legendary shooting guard Michael Jordan. And that is something that the Portland Trail Blazers superstar point guard Damian Lillard seemingly agrees with in a discussion on social media over the weekend.
A lot of the stars in today’s NBA, especially the young and up-and-coming ones, tend to mention LeBron James as the greatest of all-time often in this debate. Generational differences can play a role in this debate, but it’s still nice to see Lillard’s backing of Jordan here.
We got to witness a huge resurgence in the ongoing GOAT debate last year following the premier of the hit docuseries “The Last Dance”. And LeBron getting his fourth ring of his accomplished NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the bubble last year also helped to spark another resurgence of the GOAT debate in late 2020 and early 2021.
Damian Lillard correct in naming Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan as the GOAT
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) October 3, 2021
Lillard is building a worthy resume in his own right to challenge for a Hall-of-Fame induction one day. Basketball-Reference lists his Hall-of-Fame probability as more than 90 percent to get inducted when he’s eligible.
In fact, among active players, there are only eight players that have a greater chance of getting inducted to the Hall-of-Fame one day than Lillard. The former Rookie of the Year, six-time All-Star selection, and six-time All-NBA Team selection, is definitely deserving of those honors.
And just because Lillard thinks of Jordan as the greatest player in NBA history, that doesn’t mean he disrespects LeBron. Unless LeBron can claim a few more rings before his playing days in the league are over, it will be really difficult to legitimately compare his career accolades in that respect to Jordan.
We don’t really even know for sure where LeBron ranks on Lillard’s list. While it seems like there’s a good chance he could be second behind Jordan, we don’t know from what he said on social media on Oct. 3.
Jordan has an insane resume himself. The 14-time All-Star selection, six-time NBA Champion, 10-time scoring champ, five-time MVP, and six-time Finals MVP, has to still be considered the GOAT in this debate.