16 NBA Players Go On Record, Reveal Who Their GOAT Is Between Michael Jordan, LeBron James

Sixteen NBA players went on record with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype and revealed who their GOAT is between Michael Jordan and LeBron James. 

Jordan averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists in the NBA. He won five MVPs, six championships, six Finals MVPs and 10 scoring titles. 

Meanwhile, LeBron has career averages of 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists. He has won four MVPs, four titles and four Finals MVPs.

LeBron became the leading scorer in NBA history last season. 

The 16 players were Devonte’ Graham, Gui Santos, Harrison Barnes, Spencer Dinwiddie, Matt Ryan, Malik Monk, KJ Martin, Dennis Smith Jr., Cody Zeller, CJ McCollum, Bojan Bogdanovic, Malcolm Brogdon, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Zach Collins, Bruno Fernando and Dyson Daniels. 

Santos, Barnes, Martin, Smith Jr., Zeller, McCollum and Bogdanovic went with Jordan, while Graham, Dinwiddie, Ryan, Monk, Brogdon, Mamukelashvili, Collins, Fernando and Daniels picked LeBron. 

“I played for the GOAT, Michael Jordan,” Graham said. “He paid me. When I played there, he was definitely the GOAT. Once I got traded, it became LeBron.”

“For me, it’s Jordan because I wasn’t born at the time, but I started watching the NBA because of Jordan,” Santos said. “The music and highlights from him from ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ (Space Jam). I was watching that. I haven’t watched him play a lot, but because of the way he changed the game, the Olympics in 1992, he brought the NBA to the rest of the world. I say he’s the GOAT for that.”

“I think, in general, the topic always has a recency bias,” Barnes said. “I think each generation has who they think is the greatest player of all time. There are the usual names you hear. Is it based on winning? Is it based on impact? Is it based on who had more of a shift in the game? Obviously, if I have to give an answer, I’ll go with Jordan. He’s my favorite player. He stacks up with the wins argument, impact on the game, and individual performance. I think, in general, the conversation has to be a little bit more nuanced. I think right now, it’s sensationalized, and it’s wild. Some of the names that are brought in there. How come Tim Duncan’s resume doesn’t get there? How come Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s resume doesn’t get there? It’s mostly two or three guys that get talked about.”

“LeBron because I judge it on who I’d draft No. 1 in an all-time draft,” Dinwiddie said. “He’s had 20-plus years of basically going to the Conference Finals. I’d say globally, LeBron is a bigger icon, like business included. I think Jordan is a bigger hero, in a sense, just because he was so different from what we had seen. We’d already seen dominant guards and wings once LeBron came in.”

“LeBron, not even a question,” Ryan said. “His size, strength, speed, skill, and IQ. He had the ability to guard one through five in his prime. He’s arguably the best passer ever. In his prime, he was 6-foot-9, 260 pounds, and could do everything. He’s had longevity. He’s going to have every single record there is. When you look at what he’s still doing at 39 years old, it’s absolutely incredible.”

“Nobody has dominated like LeBron,” Monk said. “I think he’s been playing in the league and dominating longer than Colby Jones has been born (laughing while pointing to him across the locker room).”

“I feel like you have to take into account what you do on the basketball court, but also the impact off the court,” Martin said. “Jordan’s shoes are a big thing. I think they’re always going to sell. I couldn’t imagine if social media was a thing when he was playing how much more — even though he’s already known worldwide – I feel like it would be on a different level. To have six rings, never lose in the Finals, win MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season, and average 30 for your career, that’s tough. There are a lot of great guys. Kobe Bryant was my favorite player growing up. Watching him and my dad (Kenyon Martin) compete in the Finals in the Western Conference Finals. MJ, Kobe, LeBron.”

“When I watched him, it’s like he invented basketball,” Smith Jr. said. “You look at the numbers, how he played, how he could score and defend. It’s like he perfected the game. You don’t pass 99 on Madden and 2K, so I got Mike.”

“I’d say MJ,” Zeller said. “It was just the very early part of my childhood seeing the end of his run. I might have a little bias because I played for him for eight years. It was fun to be around him in Charlotte. He was around a decent amount. He’d come in, sit at the end of the bench, and yell at the refs. He’d come to shootaround, too. Anytime you could spend a few minutes with him. A couple of times, he sat in on a film session with the team. It was really cool to have him around. He’d shoot around a little. No playing.”

“LeBron is still playing, so his story is still being written,” McCollum said. “I say Mike for his impact on the game, his legacy, his shoes, the championships, and how dominant he was from his averages standpoint.”

“He was 6-0 in the Finals,” Bogdanovic said. “I think he brought basketball all around the world to the fans. He was an icon.”

“I think the answer to that question is relative and depends on your era,” Brogdon said. “A lot of people in the era before me will say it’s Michael Jordan. People before that era will say it was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I don’t think it’s disrespectful to any of them. For me, LeBron was the guy I grew up watching, and I’ve always thought he was the best player I ever watched.”

“LeBron’s done stuff in the NBA, which I don’t think anybody else can do, especially right now at his age and the way he’s playing,” Mamukelashvili said. “He’s first in points, fourth in assists, and he’s up there in every single category. He’s played against great competition and did his thing. I don’t think you can take that away from him. He’ll be the most athletic, powerful, and the best player to ever play the game.”

“I never got to watch Jordan live,” Collins said. “I only saw highlights. Maybe I’m a little biased. LeBron’s been my favorite player since I’ve watched basketball. Now, he’s got the scoring record, four rings, and other records that probably won’t ever be broken. I think the longevity, too. When you play in the NBA, and you’ve got to play 82 games and hopefully playoffs, and he’s stayed healthy through all that and kept an enthusiasm about the game this long, I think that adds to his legacy.”

“I’m a LeBron guy because that’s what I’ve seen,” Fernando said. “I didn’t get to watch MJ play with all due respect. I respect the things he’s done for the game and how much of an impactful person he is around the world and the sport of basketball. To see what LeBron is doing at age 39 or even the last three to five years and continue to get better and elevate the game to such a level. It’s crazy to see his longevity and ability now, where it looks like he’s not even slowing down. That’s who I grew up seeing, and when I grew up with my classmates going to school, this was the guy you’d talk about, LeBron.”

“I think it’s complicated,” Daniels said. “I think different players are the greatest of their eras. I think MJ was the greatest in his era, and LeBron’s been the greatest in this era. It’s hard to compare. It depends on what you want to look at. If you want to look at longevity, it’s LeBron. If you want to look at career stats, it’s probably MJ with six titles and going 6-0. Those two are definitely at the top. My generation is LeBron, so I’ll go with LeBron.”