Fans make their decision on who the NBA GOAT would be if Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James never played.
The NBA GOAT debate is one that will continue forever. It’s always heated, and usually, the names mentioned are Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant. But what if these three stars never played in the NBA?
This was a question asked on social media, and fans gave their thoughts.
The names that came up a lot were Stephen Curry, Tim Duncan, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. One fan even suggested Keith Van Horn would be the GOAT. This is likely a joke. Some fans gave good reasons for their picks.
This fan wrote: Prolly Steph with his insane impact on the game.
Another wrote: Keep in mind without LeBron, Duncan would have at least 6 rings.
This fan had this opinion: What if these 3 didn’t play gives a lot of players more opportunities to win more like if Russell didn’t play Wilt would have dominated even more, but with same stat I would give it to Kareem his resume would be unparalleled.
Some fans even had a problem with Kobe being mentioned with Jordan and LeBron. In their minds, Kobe isn’t in the top three of greatest players.
This fan had Kareem over Kobe: Kareem, but Kobe isn’t even top 3 so.
This fan agreed: Does anyone actually consider Kobe top 3????
Fans, like always, are divided by their choices, but there’s one thing that is clear: The NBA has always been full of talent. The debates will continue and hopefully, fans can keep a cool head while discussing the topic.
Who Is The NBA’s GOAT?
It is impossible to truly crown one player as the GOAT in the NBA. There have been so many great players who have done amazing things in the league. Who is to say what one player achieved is better than another?
Fans will also have different opinions on what determines one to be the GOAT. This was made clear in the fans’ comments above. With that being said, most do look at Michael Jordan as the favorite for the title of GOAT in the NBA.
Jordan won six NBA championships while earning the Finals MVP all six times. This is one of the biggest reasons Jordan gets the nod over players like LeBron James.
Jordan’s 10 scoring titles, three steals titles, and five regular season MVPs also strengthen his case as the GOAT. For most, LeBron is the player who can challenge Jordan the best for being the GOAT.
LeBron has the all-time scoring record, as well as four NBA titles, four MVP awards, and four Finals MVP awards.
Still, in most fans’ eyes, LeBron will have to win at least two more championships to catch MJ. For others, this still isn’t enough.
Fadeaway World’s own Eddie Bitar wrote a piece on what exactly LeBron would have to do to surpass Jordan as the GOAT in NBA history. The biggest reason for LeBron falling to second is his Finals record, which is 4-6. This doesn’t look good next to Jordan’s 6-0, so you can see why most have Jordan ahead of LeBron.
Can LeBron not only win the NBA championship in the 2023-24 season but at least one more, as well? Only time will tell, but the Los Angeles Lakers have surrounded LeBron with the talent to compete in the upcoming season. So, time will tell if LeBron can finally take sole procession of the title as GOAT of the NBA.
