The GOAT debate pitting Michael Jordan and LeBron James against each other has been discussed ad nauseam on social media, talk shows, podcasts, and any medium where people could put forth their opinions. It’s an endless, and eventually pointless discussion where neither Jordan’s backers nor James’ supporters budge from supporting their favorite player.
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While the debate has gotten tiresome, that hasn’t stopped prominent figures like former MVP and future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant from giving their two cents on the subject. While discussing the subject on an episode of the Boardroom Podcast, the Phoenix Suns superstar did not name his pick but lauded James for his longevity, a trait where he beats Jordan in, hands down. Durant said,
“When you’re 39 in your 20th year, and then like half your life is in the league, and then you’ve played against like 40% of players that have ever played in the league. It’s just like, that longevity has to mean something… I truly appreciate somebody who’s been in that s**t for a long time.”
Durant hinted that he respects James’ longevity more than Jordan’s run of six titles in eight years. And he found a supporter in Isiah Thomas, who shared the clip of the Suns superstar’s opinion on the GOAT debate on his Instagram stories.
While it’s not difficult to envision another basketball star sharing Durant’s view without prejudice, this may not be the case with Thomas. The Detroit Pistons icon and Jordan have a longstanding beef that dates back to the late 1980s. While neither ever addressed their ill feelings for each other publicly for decades, it came to a fore after Netflix aired ‘The Last Dance’ documentary.
In the documentary, Jordan described Thomas as an a**hole, and his Pistons teammates walking off without shaking hands with the Bulls players following their loss in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals was the action that really drove it home. Thomas took exception to Jordan’s abuse and told Draymond Green he wanted a public apology.
It’s safe to assume that Jordan will never fulfill Thomas’ wish. And, certainly, the Pistons icon will never back the Bulls legend’s case as the greatest of all time, which makes his support of Durant’s claim a bit questionable.
Kendrick Perkins goes to war with Michael Jordan for LeBron James
Ignoring Isiah Thomas’ bias, Kevin Durant’s opinion that LeBron James’ longevity makes him the GOAT is shared by many, including ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins. After his 35-point performance against the Los Angeles Clippers in November 2023, the analyst said on First Take,
“This is why LeBron James is the GOAT. Because your GOAT wasn’t doing this at 38 years of age, okay? That’s number 2. We have been searching and trying to find a new person to take over the throne of being the face of the league, and we can’t put a finger on that yet.”
While Perkins and those in James’ camp continue to point at his unmatched longevity, Jordan’s camp will point at his 6-0 record in the NBA Finals and his slight lead in individual accolades as a rebuttal. It’s a debate without an objective conclusion but that hasn’t and won’t stop it from raging on.
