NBA players believe Michael Jordan remains the greatest player in league history ahead of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
James and Jordan are considered the two greatest players in NBA history after dominating the league in their respective eras. Jordan won six championships with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s, while James is a four-time champion having enjoyed success with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Lakers.
The Athletic spoke to 108 players across each of the 30 NBA franchises during the final three weeks of the 2022/23 season - and one question in the poll asked players who they believe is the GOAT (greatest of all time). Jordan led the way with 58.3 percent of the vote, while James was second with 33 percent ahead of Kobe Bryant at 6.8 percent.
Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, regarded by many as the third-greatest player in league history, did not receive a single vote. Boston Celtics icon Bill Russell and Tracy McGrady - who starred for the Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets among others in his career - received just a single percent in the poll.
The players who picked Jordan ahead of James regularly pointed to his unblemished 6-0 record in the NBA Finals, while the King’s fans declared his historic longevity as the reason why he should be at the top. Players also claimed James’ ability to reach 10 NBA Finals should be applauded, even if he has lost on six occasions.
One player reportedly said: “M.J., for sure. Definitely 6-for-6 (in the Finals) is a big thing for me. But the way I look at basketball is (it's) about the winning, and if I feel like I need (somebody) to go win me a game, I'm picking M.J. over everybody.
“(I’d pick) whoever is going to carry me through a series, carry me through the Play-Offs, and is setting the tone. I think M.J. checks all those boxes.”
It should also be noted that players who grew up in the 2000s chose James over Jordan - while The Athletic’s poll from four years ago saw the Bulls icon take home 73 per cent of the vote. James was a distant second with 11.9 percent, so he has appeared to close the gap in the debate.
Since the last vote, James won his fourth NBA title with a third team and became the first player to win Finals MVP with three separate franchises. Earlier this season, James surpassed Abdul-Jabbar as the league’s leading all-time points scorer while he has performed incredibly well at 38 years of age, averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game.
