Former Bulls & Lakers legendary coach Phil Jackson revealed what it would take for LeBron James to dethrone Michael Jordan as the GOAT – win more championships.
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For several years now, NBA fans and its players have been comparing players from all-time to term them the GOAT. The LeBron James–Michael Jordan debate in particular has been one of the most arguable ones ever.
On one hand, we have Michael Jordan, one of the best ever to set foot on the hardwood, who would dedicate hours in the gym to perfect his craft. And one the other, we have LeBron James, who is said to be one of the most dominant, durable and versatile players of all time.
Both the superstars have built incredible resumes throughout their careers. Over the span of his 15-year career, MJ had 14 All-Star appearances, 11 All-NBA selections, 10 Scoring titles, 5 MVPs, a perfect 6-0 record in the Finals, 6 Finals MVPs and was even enshrined in the Hall-Of-Fame back in 2009.
Whereas, LeBron, who soon will be entering his 19th season, has 17 All-Star appearances, 17 All-NBA selections, 1 Scoring title, 4 MVPs, 4 Championships, 4 MVPs, and will surely be a first-ballot Hall-Of-Famer once all is said and done.
According to Phil Jackson, LeBron James has to win more championships than Michael Jordan to dethrone him as the GOAT
Former Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers legendary coach Phil Jackson weighed in on the GOAT debate. Jackson, who coached Air Jordan for the majority of his career, has huge respect for LeBron James. However, according to Phil, LBJ needs to win more championships than Jordan in order to be called the GOAT.
Back in May of 2013, Phil made an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show”, and said:
“I think a lot of people think he’s right there,” Jackson said. “I think better is only about championships. That’s the only measurement that’s left for LeBron that will say that he’s a better ballplayer than Michael or that people can argue it. It’s the number of championships that you win, and that’s proof in the pudding right there.
“He’s game is incredible. I think it’s incredible that he can play without fouling a lot of the time. He can play defense on almost everybody that is on the floor. He’s an unselfish ballplayer. He doesn’t lust to score as Kobe or Michael did, but when the need is there he definitely finds a way to score. His game has continued to improve the last four or five years, and we don’t see what the limitations are going to be.”
LeBron James is now a 4-time Champion, and according to Phil, needs 3 more titles to dethrone His Airness as the GOAT.
However, we should be blessed to witness these legends dedicate their entire lives to the sport they love so much. Love or hate any one of them, you can’t take away what they have done for the league. Both have been tremendous and have had a great impact on the league. We can just feel lucky to have these two generational types of players have set their mark on the league forever.
