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The NBA GOAT debate is one that seems to endlessly continue. Depending on the criteria used, it's possible to make a case for several players to be considered the greatest of all time.
When looking at longevity and consistency, many point to LeBron James, who has made the most of his time in the league. On the flip side, many give the title of 'greatest of all time' to Michael Jordan given his pair of three-peats with the Chicago Bulls and unblemished NBA Finals record.
One Reddit user has now created an algorithm to determine who's your NBA GOAT is? The algorithm takes a number of factors into account, with their importance in the calculation being entirely determined by the person utilizing the site.
For example, an individual may value points per game more than rebounds per game while weighing the NBA GOAT, whereas someone else may put an emphasis on efficiency.
In addition, the NBA GOAT algorithm can take into account playoff success, championship success, longevity, durability, and more.
Based on the number of combinations, and the importance of different factors, the program seems to generate a list largely unique to most users.
While some wound up getting LeBron James or Michael Jordan in first place, others wound up getting legends of the game like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain.
Looking at the criteria used to determine the NBA GOAT
Given the endless number of combinations of NBA GOATs given that the algorithm generates a list of 50 players, let's take a look at the different criteria used to determine the NBA GOAT.
The algorithm starts with traditional stats, looking at things like points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks per game, before then transitioning to efficiency.
There, the algorithm has users rank various scoring percentage figures, including true shooting percentage.
After that, the GOAT algorithm looks at Playoff boosts, which gives users a slight boost for postseason performance.
As such, a player who thrived in the postseason could receive a boost to their rating, while a player who consistently missed the postseason would rank lower.
After that, the algorithm looks at awards and accolades, meaning a player who won awards like MVP or Defensive Player of the Year for example could get a boost.
The accolade section is broken down, with users able to prioritize everything from championships to the number of All-Star and All-NBA appearances.
Last but certainly not least, the algorithm can take into account longevity and durability, which would boost the case of players like LeBron James. Those interested in using the algorithm will be sure to create plenty of discussion topics with the site as they find out who their GOAT should be.
