Stephen A. Smith Makes a Bold Statement: Chooses LeBron James Over Michael Jordan In GOAT Debate After Recent Record by the Los Angeles Lakers Star | NBA News
LeBron James has written his name in golden letters as the first player in the history of the NBA to score 50,000 career points. James was just 1 point shy before the Lakers vs. Pelicans game to reach the 50,000 career milestone. He ended up scoring 34 points in 33 minutes of gameplay, with 8 rebounds and 6 assists. And now he is one step ahead in his career and the never-ending debate about who is the greatest of all time, him or Micheal Jordan. Well, sports analyst Stephen A. Smith might have something to say about that.
Stephen A. Smith takes a surprising stand on the GOAT debate
Stephen A. Smith has never shied away from saying just how good he thinks Michael Jordan is. If anyone could have the GOAT title in the NBA, according to Smith, it would be Jordan. So when he said that LeBron James is better than MJ, at least in one aspect, it came as a surprise to many. After the Lakers vs. Pelicans game, during ESPN’s Get Up, Stephen A. said:
“Longevity, a sustained level of pristine excellence. LeBron James is the GOAT in that category. Jordan at his best is the greatest I’ve ever seen, but Jordan wasn’t that good for that long.”
Michael Jordan retired from the game in 2003 when he was 40 years of age. But to be fair, his real game ended when he left the Chicago Bulls in 1998. Not to say that MJ was not a star player still with the Washington Wizards, but he could not recreate the magic he had with the Bulls. James, on the other hand, is still one of the best players in the league, as he leads the Lakers to one victory after another in his 22nd season in the league, also at 40 years old.
Stephen A. Smith thinks it is time to retire the GOAT debate
With how excellent both these players have been in their careers, it is indeed difficult for anyone to really say who is better than the other. If one has more career points, the other has a better point-per-game average. But as Smith and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said after James’ recent achievement, if longevity is the parameter, James wins it by a mile.
“We’ve never seen a player who has been this good for this long. That’s his claim to greatness.”
Smith also added to the same note, saying James has been phenomenal, whether it is with or without Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic, or anyone else. He is in better shape than most of his peers, even at 40 years of age, and still managing to make and break records all this while.
“The greatness that he has put on display for as long as he has put on display. I’ll even go a step further, knowing how I feel about Jordan, and I think that anybody who knows basketball agrees with me. I actually think it’s time to not even have the debate anymore, because that’s how great LeBron James has been, for as long as he has been that great. I can stand down and acknowledge that.”
Safe to say, LeBron James has got some high praise from someone who will never agree that he is the GOAT when Michael Jordan exists. But it’s still a pretty sweet acknowledgement from a hardcore MJ supporter.
Also Read: The Eternal Debate: Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James. Who is the NBA’s Greatest Of All Time?
