Despite the 2025-26 NBA season being just over a month away, the GOAT debate remains a prominent topic. The high volume of discourse surrounding the question, ‘Who’s the greatest NBA player of all time?’ could be filler until the season begins. Regardless, Los Angeles Lakers legend Byron Scott has a strong distaste toward the power the media and fans hold over that debate.
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The GOAT debate has practically become a battle between Michael Jordan and LeBron James. The occasional person will include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Kobe Bryant, but those two remain the consistent figures for the most part.
Nowadays, many talking heads can be found sharing their opinion on the GOAT debate. One of the most notorious media members known for his strong takes on the topic is none other than Stephen A. Smith. The renowned ESPN personality has garnered quite a following, resulting in him possessing a large reach.
That doesn’t sit quite well with Byron Scott. Not because he dislikes Smith or has anything against him. It simply boils down to qualifications, which he struggles to see within fans and the media.
“Those people who have a mic in their hands and they’re saying this guy is not great or this guy’s trash have never played in the NBA,” Scott said on Byron Scott’s Fast Break. “To me, you have no right to ever say some s*** like that when you ain’t never played.”
Scott didn’t sugarcoat his opinion one bit. He’s tired of those with little to no basketball experience speaking so critically about the game. It’s hard to ignore the fundamental difference between someone who has NBA experience and someone who doesn’t. Mainly because the way they view the game is significantly different.
“The average fan is sitting at home that ain’t never played a game in his life, but he can sit there and say, ‘Well, this guy’s the better player because of this, this, and this.’ I wouldn’t even listen to you,” Scott proclaimed.
These are bold claims for Scott to make, basically dismissing anything anyone with no NBA experience has to say. But it’s okay to agree to disagree. “We all have our different opinions on who is the greatest of all time,” Scott added. Despite that statement, it seems that no regular Joe will be able to persuade him away from his opinion.
