Getty LeBron James' social activism makes him the GOAT
Thanks to The Last Dance documentary airing on ESPN, the greatest of all-time debate between LeBron James and Michael Jordan rages on. There may never be a definitive answer on who had the better career, but that’s not going to stop people from arguing about it. Regardless of who reigns at the top, many believe that the Los Angeles Lakers star is at least in the top-two players of all time.
However, not everyone is in agreement with that notion. In fact, former NBA All-Star Paul Pierce wouldn’t even put James in the top-five players of all time.
“I go back and I ask myself, ‘What has LeBron done to build up any organization from the ground floor?'” Pierce said.
“So when I go back and I talk about these players and the top five players who not only built up organizations, or helped continue the organization’s tradition, à la Kobe, I go back and I ask myself ‘What has LeBron [done] to build up any organization from the ground floor?'” Pierce continued.
Why franchise-building should matter in a debate of the greatest player of all time doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense. If that was the case, then pretty much every Laker over the last several decades shouldn’t be considered because the franchise has been great for a very long time.
Many Don’t Agree With Pierce’s Hot Take
Predictably, Pierce didn’t find a lot of people to agree with his controversial take.
Paul Pierce after he gets dragged on twitter for his lebron take
Paul Pierce: i think—
The entire basketball world:
In 2014, Paul Pierce demanded to guard LeBron, saying he knew his tendencies more than anyone.
LeBron scored 49 points (67% FG) in a win.
Pierce has had a lot of hot takes that weren’t well-received, but this might be the worst yet.
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Caron Butler Shuts Down GOAT Debate
At the end of the day, arguing about the greatest player in NBA history is a fruitless endeavor until James retires. He could feasibly win the next three NBA titles and he could be the MVP for all of them. If that happens, it’s going to be hard to argue against his case for as greatest player of all-time. That said, former NBA All-Star Caron Butler brought some perspective to the argument.
“You have to look at everything [throughout NBA history],” Butler said on the Battle for LA podcast. “Michael Jordan was great, but the foundation was laid by the other greats. You look at guys like Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar], Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Jerry West, Magic [Johnson], Larry Bird, Dr. J [Julius Erving] – they guys laid out the groundwork.
“All of a sudden, Jordan came in and he remakes it. And then Kobe, Shaq, Olajuwon, all those guys remake it. Now LeBron, he came in and remakes it his way. And one day, someone else is gonna come, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, it’s just gonna be a remake after remake. They’re dominant players and eras.”
Butler seems to believe that it doesn’t necessarily matter who the greatest of all time is.
“Ultimately, when you look at the body of work of certain individuals, you gotta say Kareem, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James. They’re the cream of the crop. They stand out above so many others. Look, they’re all great. They’re all kings.”
There’s no way to definitely decide who the greatest basketball player ever is, but the debate will likely continue as long as the sport is still being played.
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