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Basketball Greats: GOAT, GOTE or OOTG?
What could be more subjective in a basketball discussion than debating who is the greatest of all time (GOAT)? Nothing! And it always boils down to the question – “Is it MJ or LBJ?” Kobe, Kareem, and even Steph were sometimes inserted in GOAT discussions.
But who should really be the basketball’s GOAT? What criteria should be used to determine the greatest among the basketeers?
Should it be the number of championship rings won? Bill Russel should be it, then. He holds the record for most NBA championships with 11 titles during his 13-year playing career with the Boston Celtics. Jordan and Kareem each have 6, Kobe 5, and Lebron 4. However, Bill was rarely mentioned in the GOAT discussion because there were fewer teams and a lower level of competition during his era. When Jordan, Kareem, and Kobe won their championship rings, there were also fewer teams than when Lebron won his.
Declaring MJ as the GOAT, and not LeBron or anyone else, because he won six finals without losing any is illogical. Is it proper to say that Michael Jordan won all those trips to the NBA finals, or the Chicago Bulls did? That’s the problem with adding “winning six NBA titles and losing none” in the GOAT debate. It is as if only MJ should be credited for the feat. Lest it be forgotten that basketball is a team sport. Not only one player should get the credit.
Objective criteria should be set to determine who the GOAT is. Deciding who the best cager is cannot be done through debates in “barber shops” and agreeing to what biased and prejudiced sportscasters say.
The most objective criteria that can be created should be based solely on numbers, not on the opinion of self-proclaimed experts and diehard fans. A statistical model or formula should be created to quantify all the known and measurable aspects of a basketball player’s performance. Determining the GOAT must be based on the players’ performance-related statistics, not on the narratives created by talking heads. There’s no better method but through analytics… not what the Stephen Smiths and Shannon Sharpes of the world say.
Including the number of championship rings won in the formula is not statistically valid. Firstly, those vying for the GOAT status played in different periods. The rules of the game during their respective times are different. They don’t have the same set of teammates as well. In comparative statistical analyses, the population must possess the same characteristics and qualifications for the analysis to be considered statistically valid.
As to what are the measurable areas are well-known. They are the categories listed in the box score of a basketball game – points, assists, rebounds, steals, blocks, and turnovers. These are the bases upon which the National Basketball Association measures the player efficiency rating (PER). The NBA has also come up with a better way of analyzing the performance of its players through Player Impact Estimate (PIE).
Will the PIE model be enough to determine the GOAT?
The problem is that all metrics used by the NBA to gauge players’ all-around contribution to the game were implemented only recently. Putting the numbers of the GOAT candidates in a comparative matrix is obviously easier said and done.
Assuming that the comparative matrix can be created, is the PIE model enough to determine the GOAT? It seems incomplete and not inclusive, with missing “slices” in the PIE.
The statistical computation should also include the number of teams competing during the seasons that the GOAT candidates hoisted the championship trophy with their teams. The mathematicians in the NBA can figure out how to insert that component into the statistical model.
And there exists a gray area that must also be addressed if and when the GOAT dispute gets settled via analytics – the changes in the rules as the game of basketball evolved into what it is now. There were subtle changes to the regulations that perhaps went unnoticed, and there were obvious ones. Noticeable or not, those changes in rules affected the way the games were played before and now. Such changes in the rules should be factored in when creating the statistical model or formula to determine who the GOAT should be. If not, any statistical comparative analysis will be considered invalid. An inclusive “analytics model” is needed to comprehensively and objectively measure players’ performance to determine the greatest among them.
This leads to the question – Is it possible to create an inclusive “analytics model” to settle the GOAT debate?
Are the categories “number of teams playing when a championship was won” and “effect of the changes in rules during the playing years of the players” the only missing slices in NBA’s PIE? What about “availability to play”? In the number of years the GOAT candidates played, how many of the games were supposed to be played by their respective teams in a particular season they played?
What about factoring their age in the analytics? As they become older, are they still productive? As they age, do they still positively affect the results of the games they play, or have they become more of a liability to their teams? Can the answers to the preceding questions be measured and included in the NBA’s PIE?
We need to realize that with all those other categories that should be added to the GOAT formula, the statistical model becomes more and more complicated.
Suppose all those categories cannot be added to the “analytics model.” In that case, there is no way we can determine with utmost objectivity who among basketball players (past and present) is the greatest.
Why don’t we just slay the GOAT (debate) and bury it? Instead, let’s search for the GOTE – Greatest Of This Era. A GOTE “analytics model” is less complicated and is easier to formulate than that for the GOAT.
But there’s another path we can go the AI way… not ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE but APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY. For the uninitiated on Appreciative Inquiry, you can simply look at the meanings of the two words in context – APPRECIATION and INQUIRY. An online dictionary defines appreciation as recognizing and valuing the contributions or attributes of things and people around us, Inquiry, exploring and discovering in the spirit of understanding, and being open to new possibilities. Appreciative Inquiry is a method of problem-solving that was popularized by David Cooperrider in the 1980s.
I bet that when AI is applied to determine greatness in the hardwood, we will refrain from seeking out who the GOAT or the GOTE is. Instead, we will come out declaring the OOTG – One Of The Greatest.
There is no need to put one basketball player on the pedestal of greatness and put other basketball players down. We can learn to appreciate the greatness of the players we idolize without making any comparisons with other players.
LAKERS’ DILEMMA: To Win Or Not To Win
After the last games were played in the NBA’s regular season, the dust finally settled, and the No. 1 to 6 seeds for both conferences (East and West) were finally determined. As to who will be No. 7 and 8 seeds is yet unknown.
In the East, via the play-in tournament, the Philadelphia Sixers, the Miami Heat, the Chicago Bulls, and the Atlanta Hawks are vying for the last two spots for the playoffs. Out West, the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, and the Los Angeles Lakers are the last teams standing.
The Lakers had to defeat the Pelicans to place 8th in the standings after the regular season and must hand the former another loss to secure the 7th seed going into the playoffs.
It should be remembered that last year, the Lakers also had to survive the play-in tournament and ended up as No. 7 in the West. Despite being the underdogs, they defeated the 2nd-seeded Grizzlies. They also booted out the 6th-seeded Warriors, then the defending champions, becoming one of the only two (2) 7th-seed to reach the Western Conference finals. Their magical run from a dismal 2-10 start ended when the Nuggets, the eventual champion, swept them in 4 straight games.
The defending champs Nuggets unexpectedly ended at the No. 2 spot in the West. The Lakers are staring at the possibility of duking it out with their last year’s Western Conference tormentors should they defeat the Pelicans and become 7th-seeded. The Nuggets also swept the Lakers in their regular season tussles.
The Lakers are seemingly incapable of solving the Nuggets’ riddle. They have not defeated the defending champs in their last 8 games. Thus, sports analysts and basketball pundits say it would be better for them to intentionally drop their game against the Pelicans and prepare themselves for the battle for the 8th seed against the winner of the Warriors-Kings knock-out game. They suggest the Lakers tank in their first play-in tournament game to avoid the Nuggets.
Should the Lakers end up at No. 8 in the West, they will face the Oklahoma City Thunder, who surprisingly snatched the No. 1 seed. And the oddsmakers may consider them favorites considering the latter defeated the former thrice in four games during the regular season.
But what is the guarantee that the Lakers will end up defeating the Warriors-Kings tussle winner, considering how they performed against both teams during the regular season? They lost their four regular games against the Kings. The Warriors hold a 3-1 win-loss record against them. However, it should be noted that in their 2 losses against the Warriors, Anthony Davis, a vital cog in both ends of the floor for the Lakers, played only for a few minutes in one and did not play at all in the other because of injuries.
So, the Lakers can pick their poison. Win their game against the Pelicans to ensure they play in the playoffs (unfortunately against the defending champions Nuggets), or go for all of their marbles in a do-or-die game against the winner of the 9 vs 10 play-in match-up. The Warriors and the Kings are definitely no pushovers. They will not give the win to the Lakers on a silver platter. Neither of those two teams will just roll over and die.
What could go in the Lakers’ favor should they vie for the No. 8 spot (in case they lose the game against the Pelicans either on purpose or otherwise) is them playing on their homecourt and the fact that Lebron and his crew play differently when the stakes are high. It is hard to disregard the fact that they have won 14 of their last 20 games.
Nobody knows which way the Lakers go. Whatever decisions the think-tank of the Lakers organization comes out with, there’s one serious matter to consider – the extent of the injury Anthony Davis suffered in their previous games against the Pelicans. If the Lakers decide to go all out to notch the 7th seed, will Davis be able to play? Is he 100% healthy?
The Lakers must ground Davis if playing him would aggravate his injury and jeopardize his health and their chances in the playoffs. Let his aching back heal a little bit more. And should they decide to go this route, they might as well either rest Lebron or play him sparingly. Allow the team’s main stars to reserve their strength and unleash them in their matchup against the Warriors or the Kings.
But what if the Pelicans are also thinking of taking their chances against the winner of the no. 9 and no. 10 teams instead of facing the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs?
Tanking their initial play-in tournament game is perhaps not in the minds of both the Lakers and the Pelicans. Regardless of the consequences of winning that game, both teams owe it to NBA fans to give their all. Their credibility will definitely get a hit if they do not play to win. They will perhaps be branded as cowards for not wanting to face the Nuggets in a playoff series.
LEBRON’S GREATNESS
You can love LeBron James or hate him, but you can’t ignore his greatness. “The kid from Akron” has accomplished much, not just as an athlete but as a businessman, that even his staunchest critics and haters, the “Skip Baylesses” of the world, could not help but sing praises.
The list of his career highlights and awards is long. On top of that list are 4 NBA championship rings and the same number of NBA Finals MVP trophies. He was also voted NBA MVP 4 times. His critics would be quick to mention that Michael Jordan has more rings and trophies than Bron and therefore is a greater player… and the greatest of all time. Bill Russel won more championships than Jordan and Lebron combined. So, should he be the GOAT? I could almost hear basketball pundits calling me names for asking that question. They might even say that I know nothing about basketball for not agreeing that MJ is the GOAT.
For the record, I don’t buy the idea of declaring a basketball player as the GOAT. Each of the aforementioned players is/was great. The list of great players who showcased their superb talents and have brought us entertainment through the years is long. The GOAT debate is just like a championship ring. It is rounded and has no beginning or end. Discussions about it would always end in a stalemate. Nobody could definitively say who among past and present basketball players is the greatest of all time. Nobody could claim that they have a statistically sound metric to objectively determine who among those basketeers should be declared the best. Not because ESPN’s Stephen Smith says that Michael Jordan is the greatest hooper that everybody in the basketball universe would already accept it as the truth.
We cannot disregard the greatness of a certain athlete by saying that another one is better. We should not diminish LeBron’s greatness by saying that Jordan (or anyone else) is a better cager. We should learn to appreciate the accomplishments of players individually, not comparatively.
I find it amusing how the LeBron doubters would eagerly await that he fails at something or his team would not perform as well as expected for them to have something to say against him. Is it because they expect too much from him or do they just hate to see him succeed? They won’t consider him helping bring his teams (Miami & Cleveland) to eight straight finals as an accomplishment but rather a monumental failure having succeeded only thrice in those multiple trips to the NBA finals. They refuse to give him credit for leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to come back from a 1-3 deficit and win the championship citing as the reason the suspension given to Daymond Green in Game 5 of that series. They also considered the championship he won with the Lakers as insignificant because the 2020 NBA season was shortened and disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In short, his critics would always find a way to either downgrade or disregard his greatness.
But no matter what the fault-finders say, LeBron remained steadfast in his quest for greatness. At the age of 38, he remained competitive. I don’t know if any player could beat him in the category of longevity. And it is not just a matter of playing as long as they could but playing at a level the way Lebron has been doing it.
Whether he could play as long as Kareem Abdul Jabbar (who retired at the age of 42) remains to be seen. But what is certain to happen is him passing Kareem as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. As of today (01-04-23), Lebron has 37,903 points. He needs just 485 more points. He is therefore at the precipice of another great milestone. Estimates have it that sometime in February, 2023 the “Kid from Akron” will be breaking the said record that stood since 1984.
King James, for me, is an epitome of a person “aging like fine wine.” At the age of 37, (according to Forbes) LeBron James is the first active NBA player ever to become a billionaire. At the age of 38, he is about to become NBA’s all-time leading scorer. By the way, among the top 5 all-time leading scorers, he has the highest number of assists and is third in total rebounds.
We don’t know if those who despise Lebron so much would be happy to see him add all those feathers to his cap. They may be. Skip Bayless said he is. I have no reason to doubt Skip… or should I?
Why The Lakers Lost to the Suns
What happened to the Lakers in the NBA this season wasn’t the Hollywood ending that many expected. The Suns melted their hope of repeating as champs. But LeBron James (LBJ) and the Lakers have nothing to be ashamed of because if you understand basketball and you’re not a LEBRON HATER, you know why they’re not supposed to get past the first round after what happened in Game 3 of the series. It was a game they won, but ironically, it was when they lost the series. It was a battle they won but it made them lost the war.
Does Booker and the Suns beating LeBron and the Lakers mean that they are the better team? I am of the opinion that it does not. Of course you would say that this is just the LeBron diehard in me expressing a sentiment.
Skip Bayless and his disciples – the legion of LeBron haters – were quick to crucify the leader of the Lakers for that early playoff exit. They will most certainly be calling him again “the washed king,” a label they grudgingly swallowed like a bitter pill when in 2020 he led the Purple and Gold to their 17th NBA title.
Why did the Lakers lose to the Suns?
Go back to Game 3 of the series. If you are indeed a fan of basketball and not just waiting for LeBron to fail, you would have noticed three significant takeaways in that game.
Firstly, it revealed the formula in beating the Suns – inside the paint. Knowing how atrocious is their team’s outside shooting this season, particularly from beyond the arc, Vogel and his coaching staff figured that they have to use their advantage in size. The Lakers outshone the Suns in the paint 58-38 with Anthony Davis (AD) and LBJ leading the charge. Check the statistics of that game and you’ll see also that Chris Paul and company were outrebounded 51 – 35. Now, remove AD from the equation. What would happen to that advantage in inside scoring and rebounding?
In games 1 to 3, AD had this points-rebounds-assists-blocks stat line – 27-9-4-2.
That brings us to the second takeaway from Game 3 – AD’s injury. That happened when he tried to block from behind Booker’s lay-up late in the 2nd quarter. While he may have finished the game, those who understand the nature of injuries in basketball, knew that AD will feel the effects of that injury after the game. True enough, in Game 4, he was not himself, did not play in Game 5, and logged in only 5 minutes in Game 6. That means that the Lakers’ season was pretty much over after Game 3. Why? Where would his team get the 27 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals per game that AD contributed during the first 3 games?
That question leads us to the third takeaway – Dennis Schorder’s performance. In Game 3 which the Lakers won, he scored 20 points. He was supposed to be the third most reliable scorer and backup playmaker. The reason the Lakers acquired him, sacrificing Danny Green and a future draft pick in the process, is to take some pressure off LBJ and AD. But he was surprisingly inconsistent in his performance throughout the series. In the 2 games that the Lakers won, he averaged 22 points per game. In their 4 losses, he scored 10.5 per game. He did not score a single point in the pivotal game 5 where they scored only 85 against the Sun’s 115. And it was that game that AD did not play.
What exacerbated matters for the Lakers was the fact that it wasn’t AD only who got injured in Game 3. Cadwell Pope got hurt as well. In case you haven’t noticed, he was the most reliable defender against Booker. In Pope’s absence and his ability to defend compromised when he returned, Booker averaged 31.33 points in Games 4, 5, & 6.
Generally, those injuries to AD and Pope in Game 3 very much encapsulated Lakers’ injury-plagued season. Don’t forget that LBJ himself was out for a long time because of ankle injury and it was not only in Game 3 of their playoff series against the Suns that AD was injured, not to mention the games that Dennis Schroder and Marc Gasol missed because of COVID-19 protocols. Just imagine how those injuries and missed games by the said players affected the building of team chemistry. Thus, even if they would have eclipsed the Suns in the first round, which they had high probability of accomplishing had Davis not suffered that injury, getting deeper into the playoffs and possibly the championship is almost a losing proposition.
And by the way, LeBron, at 36 and probably not playing at 100% because of the injury he had, was still the Lakers’ best performer with averages of 23.33, 7.16, and 8 (points-rebounds-assists).
What Now Skip Bayless?
The founder and CEO of the Lebron Haters Inc., Skip Bayless, could be scratching his head wondering how on earth did the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Milwaukee Bucks (113 – 103) and the Los Angeles Clippers (112 – 103 ) in their last two games.
Bayless’ placing his bet against the Lakers in those two games stems from his hatred of Lebron James whom he fondly calls the “washed king.” The sports columnist believe there’s no way Lebron could outwork Buck’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, the reigning NBA’s MVP, and Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard, the NBA Final’s MVP last year. But to Bayless’ chagrin, Lebron performed better than his boys. King James had 37 points against Gianis’ 32. Giannis had more rebounds (11 to 8) but the Lakers’ forward had more assists (8 to 6). Against Leonard whom Bayless shamelessly worships, Lebron’s stat line (points, rebounds and assists) is better too – 28, 7, & 9. In that game, Leonard had 27 points, 2 rebounds and no assist. To think that Lebron is already 35 years old (and playing on his 17 year in the NBA) while Giannis and Leonard are only 25 and 28, respectively.
Bayless criticizes the “washed king” for not playing defense but we saw how in that game against the Bucks Lebron defended well against Giannis who is much younger and taller. Giannis was bullied by King James in several occasions. Lebron played “bully basketball” in those games against the Bucks and the Clippers. He played like a man possessed in both ends of the floor.
One facet of King James’ game that Bayless usually makes fun of is his free throw. Did he notice that Lebron converted 12 of his 15 freebies against the Bucks. He also attempted from the stripes 14 times when the Lakers played the Clippers and made 12 of those. That’s 24 out of 29 – 82.76% accuracy. Bayless could be having nightmares.
In several occasions the Fox Sports host lambasted Lebron for being afraid to drive to the hoop because he said “the washed king” was so afraid to get fouled and be embarrassed missing the free throws. That’s exactly what Lebron did in the games against the Bucks and the Clippers – he fearlessly drove down the lane and challenged the defense. He dared his opponents to foul him and disappointed Bayless by converting his free throws.
And how Bayless has harped about Leonard as a “Lebron stopper.” Where was Leonard when Bayless needed him most to prevent Lebron from proving him wrong?
Knowing Bayless, he wouldn’t give credit for what Lebron has done for the past two games which he fearlessly forecast the Lakers would lose (he even had the sagacity to tweet that the final score of the game between the crosstown rivals would be 110-100 in favor of the Clippers). Probably he would take refuge on the fact that Lebron committed 4 turnovers against the Bucks and 2 against the Clippers. That’s just how Bayless has been (and will always be) – look for a way to discredit the “washed king.”
Lebron’s Greatness and Skip Bayless
For Skip Bayless of Fox Sports 1, Lebron’s 35-15-9 (points-rebounds-assists) performance when the Cavs defeated the Celtics to capture the 2018 NBA Eastern Conference finals was not great because of his 8 turnovers in the game. That’s typical of the said sports columnist – to always try to find a way to discredit the 4-time MVP. Bayless has seemingly made a living from bashing the Cavs’ superstar.
Plain and simple – Bayless hates Lebron so much that there is nothing the latter could do to appease him. Don’t tell that sports commentator that Lebron is the “greatest basketball player of all time” because he could give perhaps a million of reasons to prove otherwise. I am not even sure if he would concede that Lebron could be ranked at least as one of the greatest.
For me, Lebron is a great basketball player. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest. Only the blind can’t see that. I don’t like to compare him to any of the other “greats.” Identifying the basketball’s GOAT (greatest of all time) is a very subjective issue and it is not the intention of this article to weigh in on the discussion.
All I wish to do is to appreciate Lebron’s greatness. I am not an “honorable expert” in basketball like Skip Bayless, but unlike him I have lots of common sense. I am but an ordinary basketball fan who appreciates the fact that the Eastern conference Game 7 between Cleveland and Boston was the 100th game that Lebron played for the ongoing season. He played in all of the Cavs’ 82 games during the regular season. He played 7 playoff games each against the Pacers and the Celtics and 4 against the Raptors. Would you not marvel at that given the fact that Lebron is already 33 years old and playing in his 15th NBA season?
If that is not great then what could it be? That for me is an achievement in itself which can not be negated by anything – not even by the Cavs not possibly winning the NBA championship this year.
Would you question the greatness of a player who led a team that had to go through a lot of changes and drama during the regular season all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals and win it? You would if you have a mindset like Skip Bayless’.
It’s so funny to hear an expert like Skip Bayless say that the Pacers and the Celtics were destined to fail against the Cavs because both were young teams then argue that the Raptors, a team with veteran players with playoff experiences, lost to Cavs simply because they were afraid of Lebron.
Now, don’t dare tell Skip Bayless that this is Lebron’s 8th straight NBA Finals because I am almost certain he would point out that the Cavs superstar lost 4 times in his last 7 attempts to win the NBA crown. I am afraid he would even add that Lebron is about to experience the 5th time he would fail when the Cavs face the Warriors yet again.
My standards for greatness are not as high as Skip Bayless’… or shall I say I know a little of appreciative inquiry and I have decided to apply the said principle in a personal level. I want to search for what is best in people. Instead of being negative and critical, I chose to be appreciative of what other people accomplish.
Why will I count the number of times my fellowmen fail when it is better to take into account the number of times they succeeded. It’s their success I celebrate.
What makes Lebron endearing as a competitor is no matter how many times he failed he kept trying. That for me is “greatness.” The kind of example Lebron has been showing – the way he competes, the way he takes care of his body, the way he lives his life – is worth emulating. Lebron transcends basketball. He inspires a lot of people… except Skip Bayless.
Whether Skip Bayless likes it or not, the 4 times Lebron James failed to win the NBA trophy can never erase all that he has accomplished as a basketball player and as a person.
For the fourth straight season that Lebron and the Cavs will slug it out with the heavily-favored Warriors for the NBA crown. Oddsmakers and experts are unanimous in saying that Golden State will repeat as champions. Should that happen, I will choose to remember Lebron James as the leader of the Cavs team who overcame a seemingly insurmountable 1-3 deficit to become the 2016 NBA Champions at the expense of the Warriors themselves. That I consider as Lebron James’ greatest achievement… of course Skip Bayless would disagree.
Perhaps Skip Bayless is hating Lebron on purpose – to draw attention to himself. It could be his only way to be significant as a sports analyst.
M.A.D. LIGAYA
M.A.D. L I G A Y A 
Lebron and That Game Against GSW
Feb 1
Posted by M.A.D. LIGAYA
It’s really difficult not to take notice and appreciate the greatness of Lebron James as a basketeer… unless you are a certified Lebron hater or your concept of being a basketball fan is such that you can embrace only one great player and everybody else is a pretender.
Only the Skip Baylesses of the world would find it insulting to heap praises on Lebron James for what he has accomplished in the NBA. And bad news for the LBJ haters…he’s not done yet. Much to the chagrin of those who hate to see King James succeed, at the age of 39 and in his 21st season, he keeps stuffing the stat line. In their latest game against the Golden State Warriors, the Akron Hammer hammered his way to a triple-double with 36 points, 20 rebounds, and 12 assists.
Those numbers are not the most impressive parts of Lebron’s stat line in that game against the Warriors. Despite being 39 years old, he played for 48 minutes, making Father Time scratch his head in exasperation. Of course, we know that Father Time is undefeated. But in the case of LBJ, he has to wait a little longer. As to how long, we don’t really know. For now, let’s continue to marvel at the way Bron makes his haters wonder how, in the world, he managed to stay competitive.
In that game against the Stephen Curry-led team, he proved that he could still compete at the highest level and lead his Lakers’ team and contend for a possible championship if he gets to have a competitive supporting cast.
What was on display in that game is how “The King” has seemingly created a blueprint for players’ longevity. Longevity as in playing competitively beyond NBA players’ typical retirement age (35 to 37). He is the only remaining active player from the 2003 draft class. He is currently the oldest active player.
He is the NBA’s scoring king, surpassing Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s record almost a year ago. After scoring 36 against the Warriors, he is less than 300 points away from becoming the first NBA player to score 40,000 regular season points. With the Los Angeles Lakers playing more than 30 more games and currently averaging 25 points per game, he is expected to reach the milestone way before the playoffs start. It is a record that, according to basketball pundits, will be hard to surpass. That record is expected to get even higher, given that he could still play for 2 or more years. He also holds the record for playoff points at exactly 8,023.
He also belongs to the NBA top 10 in assists (fourth). No one else among the top 10 NBA all-time scorers is on that list. This is a testament to his being an unselfish player not looking to just score points but getting his teammates involved.
Undoubtedly, he is one of the greatest basketball players to ever play the game.
Forget about the GOAT debate. Unless a completely objective and statistically sound rubric can be created to determine the greatest to have played the game of basketball, the GOAT discussion will remain tainted with bias, prejudice, and subjectivity. We can always appreciate the greatness of our favorite player without putting down another player.
Hopefully, when Lebron decides to hang his jerseys, he could write a book about how he managed to stay strong and competitive. What is remarkable is not just his longevity but also his durability. He has not sustained a major career-threatening injury that would have kept him sidelined for a long time. There may be times that he played through injury… and that is a testament to how much he loves and respects the game.
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