The NBA greatest of all-time debate has been raging on for years now, with supporters of Michael Jordan and LeBron James so dug into their positions that changing someone’s mind is about as difficult as being kind in today’s political climate. Both players are obviously exceptional, and each has many points in their favor. For Jordan, it’s his six rings and reputation as having the greatest killer instinct in sports history. For LeBron, it’s the complete body of work, as he’s still going strong in his 22nd year and is now the NBA’s all-time scoring leader.
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It’s difficult to find someone with a measured opinion on the Jordan vs. LeBron debate these days, but shockingly, we got one from one source that is admittedly extremely biased. Jasmine Jordan, Michael’s daughter, weighed in on the topic a few years ago, and her take on the matter was better than anything you’ll hear from the talking heads on TV.
Jasmine began to answer the question by admitting, “I’m biased, my father’s the GOAT, he’s the greatest,” but she went on to bring up how impossible it is to compare players from different eras because the game is constantly changing so much.
She brought up how her father had to deal with “the Jordan Rules,” which were the Detroit Pistons’ way of hammering Jordan every time he went to the basket. That’s something you could get away with back then, but MJ was so tough that he kept coming and coming until he finally broke through after three straight years of being eliminated by the Bad Boys, finally vanquishing them in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals.
Jasmine echoed the old head belief that, compared to that era, “Today’s game’s soft.” However, she said that while her dad was the greatest of his era and then Kobe Bryant took that mantle once he reached his prime, “LeBron is doing exactly what he needs to do to become the greatest of this era.”
Jasmine Jordan and her father have an enlightened attitude towards the GOAT debate
Michael Jordan himself has shared a similar sentiment in the past, saying that when it comes to comparing players from different eras, “You’re never gonna say who’s the greatest. That’s more for selling stories. It’s unfair.”
Jordan was known for his singular drive to be the best during his playing days, but he’s always been a student of the game and someone who appreciates basketball history. He’s spoken before about the greatness of his predecessors like Bill Russell, Derek Thompson, and Dr. J. It’s also well-known how he held Kobe in such high esteem.
The GOAT debate seems like a way to divide NBA fans and get people to tune into First Take, but there’s common ground that we can all agree on. Jordan was the best of his era, and LeBron is the best of his era. What would have happened if they ever met in their primes? That will be endlessly fun to think about, but there’s no way to ever really know. As Kobe once said, “We can enjoy one without tearing down one.”
