Young people who didn’t see Michael Jordan play in real-time, and older people who DID see Jordan play but despised him, and therefore couldn’t properly absorb what they were seeing, only need to understand one thing:

Jordan was never not the best thing on the court. It’s pretty simple. Regular season, playoffs: He never was outclassed, not on any consistent nor overall basis. As amazing as LeBron James is and has been: You cannot honestly say the same about him.

Before we continue, someone is reading this and saying, “Kobe Bryant was more skilled than Jordan or anyone in NBA history. He had better improvisation and better shooting and better footwork.” Kobe’s not in this argument. As great as 

Kobe was, at best he is Top 10-15 all-time. But, the fact that he was a derivative, a self-admitted version of Jordan, means he cannot be considered GOAT. Sit down, Kobe Stans.

This is not really a “LeBron James v. Michael Jordan: Who is the true NBA Greatest of All Time?” piece. It is less about comparing statistics and the competition of respective eras. More about why the whole thing is just air and digitized letters moving around.

The NBA GOAT argument is mostly controlled both by blinders-wearing social media zealots of one man or another, and major media jackals who primarily care about how much content can be spun.

We all seem to know that these are mostly subjective, opinionated takes on which basketball player was the best to ever do it. Yet we still seem to get our feelings involved.

This is a call for cooler heads to prevail–and just admit that Jordan is the greatest NBA player of all time, as of 2018. Here are three of my reasons why:

[1] We’ve got video and stats that prove Jordan wasn’t infalliable, yet when stakes were high and the ball was in his hands, we held our breath. People did double takes when MJ messed up. It wasn’t as if he succeeded every single time. It was that his success was never really surprising.

[2] Those who hated him during his career celebrated with gusto at his mistakes more than any other player, at least up until 2010s-era LeBron, who, partly because of social and major media, is batted around 24 hours a day.

[3] Kobe Bryant and LeBron James fanatics always go beyond simply comparing their idols to Jordan–they must inevitably attack MJ’s career and person, because they know to lift their guys, Jordan must be dismantled. He is the standard, even if you don’t agree as to why he is the standard. These three things alone, say a lot.

And that’s why Jordan is the greatest, at least so far, in NBA history. It really doesn’t matter that LeBron James has broken and is breaking lots of statistical marks. It does look impressive. But it is not all about numbers. It’s not even all about Jordan going 6-0 in the NBA Finals.

Understand that, even in saying all of this, I still believe that MJ would find a way to beat LeBron, all other factors being relatively equal. Team? One-on-one? 2K NBA? No matter. MJ wins. 

But! LeBron James is the best all-around NBA player I’ve ever personally seen. Both of those things can exist in the same space: Bron is the most complete, end to end; meanwhile, I will still take Jordan first in a playground pick ’em.

James having more consecutive this’s, or more total that’s, doesn’t mean a switch is flipped: “Oh, well, now that LeBron has broken THAT mark, he is now the best.” Too bad it doesn’t work like that.

I saw Jordan nearly every regular season and playoff game from 1986 through ’98. I do not say that with pride… it was just a b-ball junkie’s youth.

Bron is physically more a specimen, it’s true. Keeping in mind he and others benefit from slightly better nutrition, workouts, trainers and MJ-era game tapes.

As I often say and write, sports fans and major media will not address these factors, because it involves more thinking and analysis. Most of us don’t want to think any more than necessary. So, we get lazy and do a “time travel air drop” kind of comparison, rather than an “all components being equal” comparison.

Jordan’s era offered a relentless pounding and a primitive level of player movement.

LeBron’s era offers undeniable advantages: better science, better training, flagrant foul calls, restrictions against hand-checking, advanced analytics, shorter contracts, fully empowered players, way more franchises planning ahead. 

–from Bill Simmons at The Ringer

Part one

Part two

All that said: Bron does not match MJ’s competitive ferocity and knowing when to lay back or turn up the heat from Nov to June. He bests Jordan in some physical areas and longevity and such.

But having seen them both, from stem to stern, I still pick Jordan if I need the guy to take the team all the way to an NBA title… or, if we’re on the playground for a pick-up game.

That ridiculous and even petty single-mindedness is the difference, no matter the individual stats you throw around.

Jordan was simply a different breed. His will, his mental savagery on the court, combined with the talent, leadership, and, yes, championships, puts him at #1 all-time. If you didn’t see him in real time, I understand why you can’t understand.