Debates exist over who is the greatest player in every sport — except hockey, where Wayne Gretzky is far ahead of the rest of the pack.
While many names have been thrown into the NBA’s “GOAT” conversation over the years, the two players firmly in contention for the moniker are Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan and current Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
Seemingly everyone in the basketball world — or any person with knowledge about the sport — has formulated their own stance on the issue. Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green recently shared his, and it involved taking a shot at a former player in the process.
Green believes James is the “GOAT” — but for a strong-worded reason
Green recently appeared on a livestream with the popular streamer Kai Cenat, and the “GOAT” conversation was part of the discussion the two shared. Between Jordan and James, Green sided with the latter, a player whom he has played against dozens of times over the course of their careers.
The argument for James’ candidacy is obvious. His longevity is unmatched in the league’s history — when he takes the court this fall, he will become the first player to play in 23 NBA seasons. While he may fall just short of Jordan when it comes to MVPs and championships, James has left behind an indelible mark on the next generation of players.
Green’s argument, however, had nothing to do with that. Instead, his reasoning had more to do with James’ ability to elevate teammates to championship-level heights.
And Green had an interesting way to get that message across — first with JR Smith, and then with Matthew Dellavedova, both of whom won championships with James while playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
“As talented as JR was, people threw the towel in on him,” Green said. “It’s not just JR, though. If you look at some of the guys that he had to lead — JR had talent, no question, but people threw the towel in on him, though. When people throw the towel in on you in this league, it’s over. People threw the towel in on JR, and Bron was like, ‘Nah, this man can shoot and he can defend. I can do something with that.’
“I don’t think MJ had many guys that went through that,” Green continued. “Delly stinks. He won two games in the NBA Finals with [James]. I got a lot of respect for Delly, but [he] completely stinks. To win with guys like that, MJ wasn’t winning with Matthew Dellavedova.”
The difference in basketball eras is ultimately at the crux at the debate: If Jordan played now, and James played back then, who would truly be better? Green’s stance is yet another example of that, as well as the fact that the conversation is far from reaching its conclusion.
