Draymond is picking LeBron James over Michael Jordan as the GOAT
LeBron James & Michael Jordan
© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports/© Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY via Imagn Content Services, LLC
The argument of who holds the title of the NBA's "Greatest of All Time" is always fun to debate. On one hand, there's Michael Jordan, a player who won six championships and is widely considered the greatest player of all time. On the other hand, there's LeBron James, a player who has won four championships and continues to add to his legacy.
Draymond's take
When it comes down to this debate, Draymond Green recently shared why he's picking LeBron James over Michael Jordan. During an interview on The Uninterrupted's Throwing Bones, he outlined the reasons why he's picking the Lakers superstar, citing numerous points, including longevity.
"Bron started in '03. By 2005, Bron was the best player in the NBA. In 2020 he was still the best player in the NBA. He was the best player in the NBA, no matter what the game did," shared Green, a four-time champion and one-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Green stated that despite the evolution of the NBA game — from lumbering big men to high-flying athleticism to today's 3-point shooting — James had remained the best player in the league.
"The game went from two slugs, like two big men, to like, a stretch four big man, back to two big men, to no big men, and he's been the best no matter what,"
Green also argued that Jordan took a break from all the action after playing in three straight NBA Finals, winning every time. During a magnificent stretch from 2011 to 2018, James played in eight straight NBA Finals — four with the Miami Heat and another four with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In that span, he won three NBA titles.
"M.J. retired. This s*** is grueling. Going to the Finals year after year after year, Bron went to eight or nine straight. M.J. took a break right in the heat of that s***. Bron didn't take a break. You know what he did? He went again and again and again again. So for me, that's why it's Bron over M.J. for me."
Bron's win over the Warriors
The crux of Green's argument for LeBron, though, is his winning over the record-breaking Warriors in 2016. Facing off against a Stephen Curry-led Golden State team that shattered the NBA record for most wins in the regular season at 73-9, not many believed LeBron's Cavaliers would have a chance. But LeBron proved everyone wrong by leading the Cavs to their first-ever NBA championship, becoming the first team in league history to come back from a 3-1 series deficit.
"M.J. didn't beat the greatest team ever assembled, nor did he run up against the greatest team ever assembled every year."
