Is Lebron the goat?

I think he had more God-given size and talent than anyone easily....and no doubt one of the greats...but I don’t feel like he had a great nemesis to overcome, but rather he ran off to an all-star team to get his first several championships.
I don’t blame him for that but it’s also not impressive. Jordan beating Detroit, Miami, or NYK, even Utah....Bird V Magic...
Those rivalries made greatness. Don’t feel like Lebron ever had those because he was too busy changing teams.
Lebron has never felt as hungry to win as those other guys, and that’s one of the things that really set them apart. JMO
 
LeBron may well be the best athlete ever born.
He is physically a lab created monster.
And he may be one of the best dudes to achieve this level of greatness.
Married HS sweetheart and home doing taco tuesdays.

But he wasn't better at winning basketball games than Michael Jordan.
MJ was singularly driven to the point of being a pretty bad person.
But he was truly an unstoppable force.

If superstars tried to band together to challenge MJ he would have shown up at their house and bullied them in their drive ways.
MJ was like 50 cent.
 
I'm inclined to say no, but comparing eras is almost pointless. If Russell was playing in 2020, let's give him the benefit of the doubt and say he's just as good in a comparative sense among his peers. How would he be remembered? There's no way he wins 11 championships. Even if he's the anchor of a team that won 2-3 championships and the finals MVP every time, he's probably not in the discussion for greatest ever given his offensive game. Where as if Lebron played in the 1950s-60s and was just as good, odds are he wins a ton of championships.

To me, Lebron is the best player of the post Jordan era. That's at least an argument that can be made, even if you disagree.
 
Longboysfan said:
Sorry.

Russell, Bird, Magic - top three.
MJ, Labron, Wilt next three.
Click to expand...
Bird and Magic were great but weren't in MJ or Wilt's class.

Russell is an interesting guy who was a key member of great all-around teams. But he was never the guy taking last second shots or finishing off wins.
Kareem was a better player than Russell, Bird or even Magic.
--and I grew up pretending to be Magic in the drive way.

Kareem, Wilt, MJ and LBJ are the top 4 in some order.

Magic, Kobe def in that next group. Bird probably belongs with those guys as do a small handful of others.
 
Manwiththeplan said:
I'm inclined to say no, but comparing eras is almost pointless. If Russell was playing in 2020, let's give him the benefit of the doubt and say he's just as good in a comparative sense among his peers. How would he be remembered? There's no way he wins 11 championships. Even if he's the anchor of a team that won 2-3 championships and the finals MVP every time, he's probably not in the discussion for greatest ever given his offensive game. Where as if Lebron played in the 1950s-60s and was just as good, odds are he wins a ton of championships.

To me, Lebron is the best player of the post Jordan era. That's at least an argument that can be made, even if you disagree.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't go that far. Athletically, Russell was a 6'10 athletic marvel. He might be the guy who matches up really, really well, against a guy like LBJ. But I do agree with you, no way he wins 11 championships in todays game or if LBJ went back and played in his era. I think that's right.
 
jterrell said:
Bird and Magic were great but weren't in MJ or Wilt's class.

Russell is an interesting guy who was a key member of great all-around teams. But he was never the guy taking last second shots or finishing off wins.
Kareem was a better player than Russell, Bird or even Magic.
--and I grew up pretending to be Magic in the drive way.

Kareem, Wilt, MJ and LBJ are the top 4 in some order.

Magic, Kobe def in that next group. Bird probably belongs with those guys as do a small handful of others.
Click to expand...

Depends on the game. Wilt couldn't run the floor against Showtime and MJ couldn't defend Magic or Bird in the set offense.

Kareem was the best of all of them IMO. I think a guy like Hakeem Olajuwon would have abused James. It's a match up thing IMO.
 
jterrell said:
Bird and Magic were great but weren't in MJ or Wilt's class.

Russell is an interesting guy who was a key member of great all-around teams. But he was never the guy taking last second shots or finishing off wins.
Kareem was a better player than Russell, Bird or even Magic.
--and I grew up pretending to be Magic in the drive way.

Kareem, Wilt, MJ and LBJ are the top 4 in some order.

Magic, Kobe def in that next group. Bird probably belongs with those guys as do a small handful of others.
Click to expand...

My criteria for top 3.
Would that team of won without them. No.
Did they make their team far better than the rest - yes.
Were they able to carr
 
ABQCOWBOY said:
Depends on the game. Wilt couldn't run the floor against Showtime and MJ couldn't defend Magic or Bird in the set offense.

Kareem was the best of all of them IMO. I think a guy like Hakeem Olajuwon would have abused James. It's a match up thing IMO.
Click to expand...
I believe MJ could defend magic and Bird a lot better than they could defend him

MJ is my 1, Kareem 2
 
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