I've seen Bird, Magic, Jordan, & Kobe play, IMO LeBron is the G.O.A.T

[Orion Bailey]

Funny how him "figuring it out" coincided with him being coached by Phil Jackson and accompanied by the prototypical SF of all time.

And the best rebounder if all time.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

And the best rebounder if all time.

Rodman didn’t show up til later.
I never claimed he didn’t get help, Lebron teamed up with one 1st Ballot HoFer and another guy who will probably be a hall of famer before he won too, so it’s not like he didn’t have help.
I’m just saying that once MJ started winning he owned the entire NBA, Lebron has just owned the east. CJ just said the Cavs were the worst defensive team he had ever played, you never heard that about any of Jordan’s teams. In my opinion, I MJ was the best ever, than Kareem, and LBJ but it’s a hard to judge between eras and the line is so razor thin, I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer. They’re all amazing.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Rodman didn’t show up til later.
I never claimed he didn’t get help, Lebron teamed up with one 1st Ballot HoFer and another guy who will probably be a hall of famer before he won too, so it’s not like he didn’t have help.
I’m just saying that once MJ started winning he owned the entire NBA, Lebron has just owned the east. CJ just said the Cavs were the worst defensive team he had ever played, you never heard that about any of Jordan’s teams. In my opinion, I MJ was the best ever, than Kareem, and LBJ but it’s a hard to judge between eras and the line is so razor thin, I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer. They’re all amazing.

Oh im with ya. Im still in the MJ camp, but its sooo razor thin. I do believe when its all said and done, LBJ will walk away with the majority vote, because I don't think he is done winning yet and he is certainly not done elevating his stats.

What is scary, is he could sign for the league min and go to Houston and win three straight.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Oh im with ya. Im still in the MJ camp, but its sooo razor thin. I do believe when its all said and done, LBJ will walk away with the majority vote, because I don't think he is done winning yet and he is certainly not done elevating his stats.

What is scary, is he could sign for the league min and go to Houston and win three straight.

I agree that by the end of his career he will have most of the records and have the best career ever.
I think the chance he signs in Houston for the min is not very high. He’s so good wherever he gets in the conversation and I don’t care if he goes to the Kings, he’d Make them competitive.

 

[handiman]

LeBron likely will exceed Jordan in many of the measurable areas, but he'll never be able to undo the failures that keep him 2nd at best.

 

[oldfisherman]

There have been well over 3,000 players in the NBA. MJ is my choice @ #3 for g.o.a.t.. With James & Jabbar tied for first, at this time.

If MJ had stayed in the NBA instead of screwing around with baseball, he "probably" would have beat out Jabbar for #1. But he did not.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

I wonder how good LeBron would’ve been had he gotten a decent coach ever

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

I wonder how good LeBron would’ve been had he gotten a decent coach ever

It’s impossible for me to know how much it’s the media and how much it’s reality but I think if you listen to the media it seems like Lebron the GM hasn’t been very good. Got Tristan Thompson a bunch of money and JR Smith, who knows what happened
between him and Kyrie. I even think David Blatt was a better coach then Lue, Mike Brown probably was too. Not that any of them were spectacular.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

If we're going to use championships has the deciding factor for G.O.A.T. then Robert "Big Shot Bob" Horry is better than Jordan and Lebron.

 

[MARIS61]

 

[Harry's Raincoat]

I'll chime in.....

GOAT?

60's = Wilt
70's = Kareem
80's = Magic
90's = MJ
00's = Kobe
10's = Lebron

Each was the terror of his decade (or more). No one wanted to play against them.

But, for each of these guys.....playing in his own era.....I think it's Wilt, but didn't see him play.
So, I'll take MJ.

 

[BigGameDamian]

I wonder how good LeBron would’ve been had he gotten a decent coach ever

Are you saying Ty Lue isn't a good coach?

 

[PtldPlatypus]

This GOAT discussion may be moot within a decade. Durant still just 29, will likely get his second ring in about 10 days' time, and is part of a core that seems to have no interest in dispersing any time soon. By the time he's all done, very well may pass Kareem in points and MJ in rings.

 

[BigGameDamian]

 

[blue9]

This GOAT discussion may be moot within a decade. Durant still just 29, will likely get his second ring in about 10 days' time, and is part of a core that seems to have no interest in dispersing any time soon. By the time he's all done, very well may pass Kareem in points and MJ in rings.

KD is GCTROAT not GOAT.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

This GOAT discussion may be moot within a decade. Durant still just 29, will likely get his second ring in about 10 days' time, and is part of a core that seems to have no interest in dispersing any time soon. By the time he's all done, very well may pass Kareem in points and MJ in rings.

Nope say what you want about the decision, or any of that but a dude who was supposed to be the leader of his team choked away a 3-1 lead, than ditched for a 73 win team. I absolutely respect that it’s his choice and he was a FA but I will never view him as LBJ, Wilt, Kareem, MJ.

 

[hoopsjock]

This GOAT discussion may be moot within a decade. Durant still just 29, will likely get his second ring in about 10 days' time, and is part of a core that seems to have no interest in dispersing any time soon. By the time he's all done, very well may pass Kareem in points and MJ in rings.

KD has no "real" rings. It's the ultimate if you can't beat them, join them. For me, the minute he made that decision disqualified him from being in that discussion.

 

[blue9]

KD has no "real" rings. It's the ultimate if you can't beat them, join them. For me, the minute he made that decision disqualified him from being in that discussion.

Also, he was never in the discussion to begin with.

 

[BigGameDamian]

Why should KD be in the discussion when he went to the best team to win championships?

 

[MarAzul]

I think it's Wilt, but didn't see him play.

I did see him play, many time. I think you are right. Although I must point out that Wilt and his team only managed to win a chanpionship once during the 10 or 11 years he had to contend with the greatest defensive player of all time, Bill Russell.

I suspect, Jordan, Kobe, or James would not look near as good going against a team with Bill Russell anchoring the defense. Wilt became a top notch defender himself after he switched his focus from offense to defence. Jabbar never did join the class of Russell and Wilt in the defensive anchor role. Only Walton joined that class.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

KD is GCTROAT not GOAT.

Nope say what you want about the decision, or any of that but a dude who was supposed to be the leader of his team choked away a 3-1 lead, than ditched for a 73 win team. I absolutely respect that it’s his choice and he was a FA but I will never view him as LBJ, Wilt, Kareem, MJ.

KD has no "real" rings. It's the ultimate if you can't beat them, join them. For me, the minute he made that decision disqualified him from being in that discussion.

Just saying, we all say this now, but when his career is over and viewed in its totality, don't be surprised if he's being placed alongside those others. It will be seen as him having the misfortune of being paired with Westbrick for 8 years, and then got a decent set of teammates to reach greater heights.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Just saying, we all say this now, but when his career is over and viewed in its totality, don't be surprised if he's being placed alongside those others. It will be seen as him having the misfortune of being paired with Westbrick for 8 years, and then got a decent set of teammates to reach greater heights.

You place Lebron on a team with Westbrook and Harden and he would have won at least one championship.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Just saying, we all say this now, but when his career is over and viewed in its totality, don't be surprised if he's being placed alongside those others. It will be seen as him having the misfortune of being paired with Westbrick for 8 years, and then got a decent set of teammates to reach greater heights.

You may be right, but Pepperidge farms remembers. That he went into chuck mode up 3-1 against a 73 win team, choked it away then ditched for not a “decent set of team-mates”, but a team that before he got there had won a championship and people were talking about if they were as good as the bulls.

 

[Stevenson]

KD is Dominique Wilkins.

 

[hoopsjock]

Just saying, we all say this now, but when his career is over and viewed in its totality, don't be surprised if he's being placed alongside those others. It will be seen as him having the misfortune of being paired with Westbrick for 8 years, and then got a decent set of teammates to reach greater heights.

I completely disagree with that. It seems like everything is in the now and not reflected on better in the future anymore. I think it will be worse for Durant after his career because he couldn't win on a team that had 3 eventual MVP players and decent role players in OKC. I will never give Durant credit for winning a ring. He joined a 73 win team that didn't have to lose any significant pieces to sign him.

Edit: I will never give Durant credit for winning with GS. If he pulls a LeBron and leads a different team to a title then I will give him proper credit.

 

[oldfisherman]

I'll chime in.....

GOAT?

60's = Wilt
70's = Kareem
80's = Magic
90's = MJ
00's = Kobe
10's = Lebron

Each was the terror of his decade (or more). No one wanted to play against them.

But, for each of these guys.....playing in his own era.....I think it's Wilt, but didn't see him play.
So, I'll take MJ.

I did see him play, many time. I think you are right. Although I must point out that Wilt and his team only manage to win a chanpionship once during the 10 or 11 years he had to contend with the greatest defensive player of all time, Bill Russell.

I suspect, Jordan, Kobe, or James would not look near as good going against a team with Bill Russell anchoring the defense. Wilt became a top notch defender himself after he switched his focus from offense to defence. Jabbar never did join the class of Russell and Wilt in the defensive anchor role. Only Walton joined that class.

I wondered when Wilt would enter this g.o.a.t. discussion. Also Russell was the best defender of all time. But...

Jabbar's longevity is what seperates him from Wilt & mj, from my view.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

You replace Lebron with Durant and that Cavs team doesn't get out of the first round.

 

[THE HCP]

I don’t use rings as a way to judge a players greatness honestly. There are scrubs walking the streets today that have won rings while Stockton, the Mailman and Chuck have zero.

 

[hoopsjock]

I don’t use rings as a way to judge a players greatness honestly. There are scrubs walking the streets today that have won rings while Stockton, the Mailman and Chuck have zero.

I agree that rings aren't a determining factor for being great BUT this conversation is about the GOAT which you absolutely can't be the greatest player ever without a ring.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I don’t use rings as a way to judge a players greatness honestly. There are scrubs walking the streets today that have won rings while Stockton, the Mailman and Chuck have zero.

"Hey guys, look at my Emmy award."