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NBA Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar turned heads earlier this month when he commented on the idea of the "greatest of all-time" in the game he once dominated.
"The reason there is no such thing as the GOAT is because every player plays under unique circumstances. We played different positions, under different rules, with different teammates, with different coaches. Every player has to adapt to their circumstances and find a way to excel. This isn’t Highlander. There can be more than one.”
Barbershops around the world gasped. These conversations have been around for decades, and have been exasperated in recent years as current stars such as LeBron James and Stephen Curry have thrown their names in the fire. That being said, I happen to believe this conversation can be had with five different players in the NBA's history. At least at this moment. Using the measurements of stats, impact, influence, and championships, here are the five goats of the NBA.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Before LeBron, the most hyped up athlete in basketball was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. And how did he live up to that hype?
Becoming the figurehead for what might be the greatest teams in NCAA history in the UCLA Bruins, making an immediate impact in the NBA by winning a title in his second season, winning five MVPs in the 1970s, and then becoming (along with Magic Johnson) the most valued player on the team of the 1980s in the Showtime Lakers.
All the while becoming the all-time leader in points with the single most unstoppable shot the game has ever seen in the skyhook.
Bill Russell
Why Russell over Wilt Chamberlain, the other dominant player of the 1960s?
Well, many of Wilt's records have been since broken by Kareem, Michael Jordan, and others while no one will ever come close to Bill Russell's mark in championships. Russell was the architect of the greatest dynasty in sport's history, winning 11 championships in his 13 years with the Boston Celtics, including a streak of eight straight titles from 1958-1966. So for people who say, "Michael has six titles to LeBron's three", well, Russell literally has enough rings to fill his hand with one left over. Also, Russell found more success as a coach, first as a player-coach with the Celtics and then in the seventies with the Seattle Supersonics.
Earvin (Magic) Johnson
Short answer: Magic Johnson is the best player at the most important spot on the court - the point guard.
Longer answer: Like Russell and his teammate Kareem, Johnson had an immediate impact on his team, winning the Finals MVP in his first season with a historic performance in the deciding game six. Along with rival and friend Larry Bird, Johnson ushered in the modern era of the NBA, from the black-and-white 1970s to the flashy 1980s and beyond. He's a five-time champion, three-time MVP, and re-introduced the game to concepts like big point guards (Ben Simmons), unselfish basketball (Lonzo Ball), and triple-doubles (Russell Westbrook).
LeBron James
When Michael Jordan retired from the NBA after 1993, the Chicago Bulls went from 57-25 to 55-27. When Magic Johnson was forced into retirement because of obtaining the HIV virus, LA still made the postseason. When LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat, the 61-win Cavs set the record for most consecutive losses with 26 and finished 19-63.
There has never been a more important player to a single team than LeBron James. For his teams to win games, James typically has to have his team's top scorer, facilitator, their best or second best rebounder, and guard the other team's best player. He is the MVP of all-time.
Michael Jordan
Surprise to no one. At his peak, Jordan was the best offensive and defensive player in all of the NBA by far, which has to be like being Aaron Donald and Tom Brady in the NFL. If Magic and Bird were Elvis, Jordan's is The Beatles. He created the NBA we see today. His impact was like the asteroid, turning the game of basketball into a global game. And no other athlete has as many iconic moments as Michael from the Flu Game to 63 in the Boston Garden to "The Shot."
Maybe it is this reason why there is such vitriol when another player enters the GOAT discussion, because Michael is the most recognized athlete in the world, regardless of whether or not people are a fan of basketball.
Summary
There are currently 178 players in the National Basketball Hall of Fame. Anyone of them could be considered the GOAT. There are many players today in the game that have had massive impacts, from Stephen Curry taking the three-point shot to new heights to Russell Westbrook averaging a triple-double twice.
There are players from the past that could be GOATs: Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a game and average 55 ppg in a season. Tiny Archibald led the league in scoring and assist in the same season. Jerry West is literally the logo of the NBA. So maybe we need to take a lesson from The Captian and step back from discussions on goats because when lifting someone up requires destroying another player, we seem more like a donkey than a goat.
