After a failed title run this season, LeBron James is catching up to Michael Jordan in the GOAT debate through longevity according to Windhorst.
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The GOAT debate has been going on for decades now in the NBA. Players and fans have their own preferences but there are two names that often pop up. Michael Jordan and LeBron James are compared time and again on various aspects of the game.
But the Chicago Bulls legend clearly has an edge especially with LeBron struggling to get his 5th ring in year 19. The Los Angeles Lakers are at the brink of losing the play-in tournament spot let alone make a run for the title this season. However, the 37-year old is effortlessly dropping 30+ points every other night in an attempt to keep the final scores close.
Because of multiple retirements, Michael Jordan missed 4 seasons whereas LeBron James has been in the league for almost two decades and is still as good as he was in his prime. He will overtake his primary rival in the GOAT debate in every stat but will it help his case?
Will the #1 spot on the all-time scoring list help LeBron James’ GOAT case?
In last night’s loss to the Washington Wizards, LeBron James passed Karl Malone for the second position on the all-time scoring list. He dropped 38 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists but the Lakers fell short. The 4x MVP made aggressive roster changes in the offseason to ensure a ring this season. It seems to have failed completely, especially after the loss to Wizards.
ESPN Analyst Brian Windhorst has come to the conclusion that LeBron is finalizing his legacy through stats and longevity. He will never catch up to Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul Jabbar in terms of championships.
LeBron James is finalizing his legacy not on championships alone but on longevity. As he moves in second all-time on scoring list, he’s leaving no doubt: No one has ever been this good for this long: https://t.co/fbaMWqQ9Z4
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) March 20, 2022
Unless LeBron averages 30+ points in the remaining games he cannot cross the retired Lakers legend for the #1 spot this season. But he will undoubtedly achieve the feat next season. He is currently the only player to have 30K points, 10K rebounds and 10k assists in NBA history.
However, at the end of the day basketball is all about winning the championship. MJ and Kareem each have six championships each. LeBron on the other hand has four and an embarrassing finals record compared to the other two. LeBron James might end up being Top 10 in every career stat but there’s little to no scope of winning another championship.
