After Team USA won the gold medal against France in Paris, the comparisons between LeBron James and Michael Jordan were bound to emerge once again. Now, LeBron has three gold medals compared to Jordan’s two. And Kendrick Perkins believes that that’s reason enough to put King James over the Bulls legend in the All-Time conversation.
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During a recent appearance on Get Up, the former Boston Celtics star talked about what this win at the Olympics means in the grand scheme of things. Perkins said that even though he had made up his mind about the GOAT pick a long time ago, LeBron’s heroics in Paris might just unanimously put him above MJ in the GOAT conversation.
Perkins told Mike Greenberg, “The greatest of all-time…He got one up on MJ right now. LeBron James, he was consistently, from the start of the tournament, the best player on Team USA.”
LeBron was an all-around player throughout the campaign and he led the team to victory on several crucial situations.
Perkins added that LBJ wasn’t restricted to a position or a style of play. He was willing to take on any challenge based on the requirements that the team had.
“Everything that LeBron James did at this age was a beautiful thing to watch in the Olympics. He’s one up on Jordan right now. He’s been my GOAT,” the ESPN analyst added.
Kendrick Perkins says LeBron James is officially the GOAT
“He got one up on MJ right now… he has three gold medals. MJ has two… he's the most important player in basketball.”
(h/t @awfulannouncing ) pic.twitter.com/3mLqMHPZw5
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 12, 2024
While LeBron’s contribution in the gold medal run earns him all the praise, putting him over MJ can’t be a straightforward argument like Perkins suggests. It is also important to note that it was Stephen Curry who saved the team in the crucial Knockout games while Kevin Durant carried the team in the first few group stage games.
As for winning one more gold medal than MJ is concerned, it’s worth noting that the Bulls legend only played in two Olympics, where he won his two gold medals. For LeBron, it took him four Olympic appearances to win three gold medals and a bronze.
Additionally, winning the Gold medal playing for a Superteam stacked with the best players in the NBA shouldn’t really be a yardstick for a player’s greatness. No other team had the firepower that Team USA flaunted in the Summer Games, even if you take LBJ out of the equation.
However, mainstream media doesn’t need all that information to pit the two All-Time greats against each other. It is very unlikely that Perkins’ argument will change anyone’s views on the GOAT debate.
