NBA's GOAT
It's a common sentiment among sports fans to want to believe that they are witnessing the best whoever did it. With modern science and fancy shoes, and the change of officiating through eras, what is the likeliness that we are now seeing the greatest player ever as LeBron James? Statistically he has more points as a sum. He has won titles for multiple cities. If you can include the COVID championship, which wasn't like any other championship in NBA history, where does LeBron belong? Is he on top? Is he the GOAT? Is he in the top five? Top 10? Top 100?
Fewer and fewer fans remember the best players of the 60s and 70s, and there's the whole slew of fans that don't know the 80s... or the 90s. For those that do remember, the NBA hit its peak in the 90s. That is one way to determine a GOAT, who changed the sport and the way it is played? Team oriented players in the 60s, saving the NBA in the 80s, being the best when the League was most popular, they all have a claim.
As far as titles there is no doubt who the GOAT is, Bill Russell has more titles than he has fingers. He was the glue that held that team together. He won 8 titles in a row and he doesn't have enough fingers to hold all those rings. Labron would have to win this year, and titles in the next 7 years, or 6 if you count the COVID title, which means he would have to play until he is 46 (not to mention how unlikely that scenario is). There are other top names from Russel’s era, they also have claims to the top billing.
Wilt Chamberlain. Was a freak of nature. Most people are aware he scored 100 points in one game with a couple minutes left on the clock. The big knock against Wilt Chamberlain would be his lack of titles. Even after joining the Lakers, he couldn’t get past the Celtics. It seems like the best player ever would always be in contention for a title. Other players from that era like Jerry West, Pistol Pete Maravich, Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robinson, John Havlicek, Rick Barry. Bob Cousy, Elvin Hayes. They all have claims since they were the stars of their time. Much like LeBron is the star of his time right now. The 70s introduced more players like Doctor Jay. Who dominated the league with his superior athleticism and ball skills.
The 80s was the revival of the NBA. Thanks to two teams, or two players and two teams that revolutionized the way the game was played and saved the league from going under. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson saved the NBA. The additions they had on their teams, they were the first super teams. Both franchises had years that they would point to as the best team ever assembled, like the 86 Celtics or the 87 Lakers. With the exception of the 1992 Dream Team, they have a good case.
When you already have, at that time, the all times leader in points scored and you add in a superstar like James Worthy on a team that has Magic Johnson, you're adding great defenders like Michael Cooper then you add in some athleticism like Byron Scott, you have the Showtime offense. The Celtics were equally stacked. Hall of Fame players like Dennis Johnson distributing the ball to Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Cedric Maxwell, and eventually to Bill Walton. They had a super-team. Combined the two teams won 8 finals.
When the NBA was saved in the 80s, it transitioned into the 90s where there was 1 dominant force. Everybody wanted to be like Mike. He won three titles. Took a break, played a different sport, came back and once he got into the flow of things, won 3 more titles. I see no reason to believe that he wouldn't have won those other two and tied Bill Russell's record had he not left the sport or that they could have won more if they could have held their team together.
What would they have accomplished? If these players left high school and went right into the NBA like LeBron James had, would they have more points, titles, presitge. These other players certainly would have played in more games. Because they played every night. And when you look at the the violence involved in the play in the 80s. I don't know if LeBron James would have been able to handle it. He's a big, physical guy when you're not allowed to touch him.
The way the rules are now, it's much different if you remember in the 84 series of the Lakers and Celtics. Kurt Rambus got clothesline and upended at the same time. That was the common foul. Today, both of those players probably would have been ejected and suspended. Adversely, you have LeBron James following to his knees crying after not getting a call against the Celtics, and he gets 34 pats in the back as consolation from his teammates and coaches. I don't know if LeBron James would have been able to play in the 80s, with the Bad Boys in Detroit and their Jordan rules? They beat opponents for the sake of beating them, so they would not be able to perform. The Jordan rule was if Michael Jordan has the ball, you need to knock him on the ground.
Michael Jordan was able to overcome that by outworking everybody else in the league and getting in such good shape, once Scottie Pippen followed suit, they were unstoppable. Lebron James has never been on a team that was considered unstoppable. Charles Barkley claimed that Labron James would not have been able to play under those conditions.
There are other players that don't probably get the recognition they deserve. Dirk Nowitzki comes to mind who has had a fantastic career and success but most people do not consider him one of the all-time greats. Then you have players that are very niche. For example, Stephen Curry and Reggie Miller and their three-point shooting, Kobe Bryant at the end of the game (the Black Mamba), you don't want him to have a chance to win the game. The same can be said for many of these people on the list. But Lebron's not one of them. There are other specialty positions. For passing there is John Stockton, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson or Steve Nash. For One-on-one defense there is Gary Payton (the Glove) or Jordan. If you want a spot up jump shooter, a catch and release, you're going to be hard pressed to find better shooters than Stephen Curry, Steve Kerr or Ray Allen. If you prefer post moves, the originator for a lot of moves that we still see today, is Kevin McHale. Shaq, then there is Kareem, and Chamberlain who were also dominant forces down low along with Hakeem Olajuwon. For rebounding, if the ball came off the glass, it belonged to Dennis Rodman. All of these players did their specialties better than Labron.
Being a point forward makes it difficult to assess. You can't compare him to a point guard (other than Magic). You can't compare LeBron to a power forward that just posts up. He has scored a lot of points and he's played in a lot of games, maybe not a lot of games in one season, but a lot of games. He has also buried franchises. Since departing Cleveland both times (with the exception of recently since they have rebuilt) Cleveland has struggled to recover. Miami has struggled. This includes the Lakers, who seem to be determined to throw money at aging stars, has all but put future titles out of reach during the LeBron LA era, with the exception of the COVID Championship.
Any time it took an entire season to play. The Lakers weren't up to snuff. They did come in third in the Western Conference this year, but is it reasonable to foresee another LA title while Labron complains that the league is too hard for him because there are too many 3-point shots now. It's more likely that the Celtics will increase their title lead. That doesn't make it sound like the best player ever. One of the factors that made Tom Brady the GOAT is that the Super Bowl's was always within reach. If I'm on an offensive line with Wayne Gretzky, I have confidence that we're going to score a goal every time out. If I'm playing for Brazil and going into the World Cup with Pele, I like my chances. If I'm boxing against Muhammad Ali, I'm pretty sure he's going to knock me out. Is Labron a contender, or is he along for the ride?
Where does Labron Belong? The following is a ranking by position. This is the top players at their positions, if Labron isn’t the best player at his position, and that player isn’t the greatest of all time, what does that say for him being the GOAT?
Centers
Bill Russel’s run in the NBA has no equal. He won 11 titles including 8 in a row.
1. Bill Russel
2. Kareem
3. Wilt Chamberlain
4. Bill Walton
5. Tim Duncan
6. Hakeem Olajuwon
7. Shaquille O’Neal
Power Forwards
Larry Bird was a better passer, shooter, and smarter player than Labron, had he not been riddled with injuries and did not play at the same time as Magic, he most likely would have had a couple more titles than Labron.
1. Larry Bird
2. Labron James
3. Dirk Nowitzki
4. Kevin Durant
5. Tim Duncan
6. Elvin Hayes
7. Kevin McHale
Small Forwards
Elgin Baylor was the epitome of style and grace as he made scoring and rebounding look more like an artistic dance than playing a sport. He had no titles because the Lakers could not beat the Celtics even with Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain on the team.
1. Elgin Baylor
2. Julius Erving
3. James Worthy
4. John Havlicek
5. Rick Barry
6. Charles Barkley
Shouting Guards
Michael Jordan was basketball in the 90s. After being saved in the 80s, Jordan became a world-wide phenomenon. Once he got into shape, and learned how to win as a team, the Chicago Bulls were unstoppable. He could shoot in the clutch, and his athleticism is why he won 6 titles in 8 years.
1. MJ
2. Pete Marovich
3. Stephen Curry
4. Kobe Bryant
5. Jerry West
6. Clyde Drexler
Point Guards
Magic Johnson won 5 titles, and it would have been more had it not been for the Celtics. He played with great players, his passing and court vision was superb, and in the 87 season when he was determined to score, nobody could stop him. His height gave him an advantage over any other point guard and he even started at center during an NBA Finals game (and dominated).
1. Magic
2. Bob Cousy
3. Steve Nash
4. George Gervin
5. Oscar Robertson
6. Allen Iverson
So, Labron is in the top 30 players, but where does he rank overall at this point in his career? Here is the Top 10.
1. Bill Russel
2. Michael Jordan
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
4. Magic Johnson
5. Larry Bird
6. Wilt Chamberlain
7. Elgin Baylor
8. Labron James
9. Pete Marovich
10. Stephen Curry
Just comparing two players, Labron and Kareem, what do the numbers say?
Labron | Kareem |
42,184 points | 38,387 points |
1562 games | 1560 games |
22 seasons | 20 Seasons |
Averages 1,917 points a season | Averaged 1,919 points a season |
High average of 30.3 points a game | High average of 34.8 points a game |
Titles: 3 (+COVID) | Titles 6 |
(2559 3-pointers) | (1 3-pointer) |
College Years/Titles: 0/0 | College Years/Titles: 4/3 (Freshmen can’t play ) |
No rules or changes were made because of him. | The NCAA outlawed dunking because it gave Kareem too much of an advantage. The NBA expanded the paint due to Wilt Chamberlain, and outlawed and outlawed offensive goal tending due to David Robinson, and added the 3 seconds in the paint rule just after Jordan retired which made it easier to drive to the basket and score more points. The NBA also changed how games were officiated to promote more offense. |
So, what is the verdict? Labron is in the top 10, but the false king falls short once you look at what these numbers mean, and the other seven players that outperformed him. Maybe if he wins the next 6 or 7 titles, but will he even be a starter at age 45 or 46? If he isn't the best at his position, and isn't the best Lakers player ever...
No GOAT here.
Comments