Many big names have shared their opinions on the GOAT debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James over the years. Both have their loyalists, but MJ’s former agent, David Falk, made headlines recently for suggesting that James “cherry-picked” his championship wins. He addressed the topic at a Sports Business Journal conference in New York.
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“I think if Jordan had cherry-picked what teams he wanted to be on and two other superstars, he would’ve won 15 championships,” said Falk.
He made the remark after being asked why James wasn’t included in his top three players of all time. Earlier today, Falk appeared on Stephen A. Smith’s podcast to elaborate, saying he didn’t want it to seem as though he believed the 40-year-old Lakers superstar wasn’t worthy of being part of the conversation.
“Clearly LeBron James is a great player in any era. You’d be foolish to suggest otherwise. His longevity, his statistics are amazing,” Falk stated to Smith. That said, he would quickly explain why he thought his ex-client, His Airness, was better.
Falk began by claiming that Jordan “obviated the center position,” explaining how teams once needed a dominant big man—like Hakeem Olajuwon—to find success. But it’s not just Jordan’s dominance on the court that excited Falk; it’s his impact off the court that truly defined his legacy in Falk’s eyes.
“I think Michael individually broke down every barrier that existed for professional basketball players,” he stated. “In particular, African-American professional basketball players to become national marketing brand ambassadors.”
Another area where Falk believes Jordan has surpassed James is in his business success and team ownership.
“I believe he’s the first NBA player to become a billionaire. I believe he’s the first NBA player to become a majority owner of an NBA team.” While James isn’t involved in team ownership yet, his business success—particularly his lucrative Nike deal—helped him reach billionaire status fairly quickly. So this might have been one area Falk could have left out.
Still, Falk saw what Jordan did in real time, including his fashion styles. “He had tremendous impact on fashion. He changed the look of the way the players play with the long shorts. He made bald beautiful.”
“I think Michael’s impact is extremely broad and deep in what he did to change the game. I don’t think any other player in history had that kind of an impact,” added Falk.
It’s clear that Falk had some bias towards the Chicago Bulls legend. Then again, maybe not. MJ’s global success helped grow the game of basketball, giving James the biggest stage possible when he came into the league in 2003.
Ask 100 people, and you’d get 100 different answers as to who the GOAT is. The NBA is a vastly different league than it was when Jordan played. The conversation and the goal posts will always get moved when having this argument. Maybe one day it’ll be a conversation that can be had casually without the cameras on. Until then, game on.
