Comparing players is a zero-sum game. You can’t lift somebody without putting someone else down, intentionally or not. We see it all the time with the Michael Jordan-LeBron James GOAT debate. While both are the best players of their respective eras, one side criticizes Jordan for his playoff failures early in his career, while the other side dings LeBron for his record of losing in the finals.
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And LeBron is at the center of another ranking controversy. This time it’s because Giannis Antetokounmpo left him off his list of the top five players in the NBA today.
Giannis, fresh off leading his native Greece to a bronze medal in EuroBasket, named himself, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Jayson Tatum as his current top five in an interview with Sport24. This had to create a stir.
Not only is there no LeBron James on the Greek Freak’s list, there’s also no Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, or Anthony Edwards. That’s the thing about a top five, though. There can only be five.
Jayson Tatum was asked by Ashley Nicole Moss how he felt about Giannis’ list, and after some thought, he said, “I would assume those are all the guys that were First Team All-NBA last year. I mean, I agree with that five, that’s a good five.”
Moss asked Tatum about LeBron’s exclusion, and the Celtic All-Star dropped some truth by saying, “People like to argue or debate just for the fun of it.”
Tatum then inadvertently hit LeBron with a stray thought by saying, “I’m pretty sure [Giannis] was talking about current day, and obviously we know LeBron is one of the greatest of all-time. But it’s a lot of guys that you could probably put in that top five, there’s not many wrong answers.”
You just know the internet is going to run with that statement by implying that Tatum said LeBron is washed or that his best days are behind him. There’s no shame in being in that next tier of guys, though, especially at age 40.
People don’t fully appreciate how ridiculous it is that LeBron is still so good entering his record 23rd year. And the ironic part is that if there’s one player on that list whose spot he might have an argument to take. It’s Tatum.
Jokic, Giannis, SGA, and Luka would almost certainly be in 95%+ of everyone’s top-five lists. But the Tatum spot is open to a bit more interpretation.
LeBron will have a chance to make his case when the season tips off next month, while Tatum will be sidelined for at least most of the season with a torn Achilles. Let’s revisit this conversation in a few months.
