There is absolutely no person on planet Earth who doesn’t place Michael Jordan in the top two of their all-time Greatest of All Time rankings. Also, there is a large portion of those who consider the Chicago Bulls legend the absolute number one, with no one in this timeline capable of catching him and his long list of achievements.
Whether you have MJ at the No. 1 or No. 2 spot, you’re not wrong—he’s a player who transformed the game for good and, in doing so, became a global phenomenon.
But despite all the praise from his contemporaries, Mike once stated that it wasn’t fair to be considered the best of all time, completely overshadowing all the legends that came before him and the influence they had on his career.
“The fact that I’ve survived 20, 21 years, and to still have people talk about me—not like I’m dead, but just the impact I’ve had on the game,” the retired Bulls guard said about his legacy in the interview with SLAM.
“But when they start comparing who’s the best of all time, I never can accept that role because there are a lot of guys who influenced my game, and if I didn’t see those guys, there’s no way my game would’ve evolved. So, for me to steal things they’ve taught me and then get the credit is not fair. So I always step away from that,” he added.
Jordan became the best to ever touch basketball
At the time of this interview (2006), Jordan reigned supreme as the best player ever to grace the court. Having in mind all his predecessors, it was obvious that the Chicago icon, with his body of work, had surpassed legends like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, even though there were a lot more iconic players who also put their mark on the game.
On the other hand, while Kobe Bryant was still at just three NBA championships and widely regarded as the closest thing to MJ, he was still not quite him. As Kobe’s career was coming to an end, the gap between the two superstars was growing smaller. However, when it was all said and done, Jordan had accomplished more and would not be dethroned from the position he was, as he says, “unwillingly” put in.
Respect for the greats
Fast-forward to 2024, and a new name has emerged in the convo. Okay, “has emerged” might be a bit unfair for someone who has dominated the league for over 20 years. Of course, we’re talking about LeBron James.
With his longevity, LeBron has entered the GOAT debate, and many fans and analysts believe “The King” has surpassed “Black Jesus” in that aspect. While this discussion is entertaining, it is also subject to many disagreements, so we won’t pick a side in this one.
The bottom line is that regardless of who you believe deserves the title of greatest basketball player in history, it’s important to honor the legends who paved the way for the game’s GOATs, just as MJ did. Without them, the game we love so much would be vastly different.