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In the debate over the NBA's GOAT, there are many opinions, but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recently gave a hilarious response to the question.
When people speak about the GOAT, the three players consistently at or near the top are Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James and Michael Jordan. As a result, the three of them are usually compared.
Since James is the only active member of the three, he can still chase down the records of Abdul-Jabbar and Jordan.
On "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon," Abdul-Jabbar spoke about the GOAT conversation and James' chase of his all-time scoring record:
"I'll answer. The GOAT committee meets in secret, OK? So ... that's just something we're not going to know about, you know? But if LeBron breaks my record this next year coming up, that will be one last record that I won't have to worry about ever again."
The "secret meetings" of the committee mean that Abdul-Jabbar is going to keep his answer a secret. Fallon believes Abdul-Jabbar is the GOAT, but the "committee" will, of course, not answer.
While the GOAT committee may not reveal the answer to the question, one player is pushing for it.
Abdul-Jabbar recognizes that James is coming for his scoring record and trying to elevate to the definitive GOAT. If James breaks Abdul-Jabbar's record, that is likely to be one of the marquee moments of next season. James has 37,062 points, while Abdul-Jabbar retired with 38,387.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's position in the GOAT debate
With the completion of the NBA Finals, the topic of the greatest NBA player is back in the spotlight. While every GOAT list is subjective, six players have elite resumes for the list. Those are LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan and Stephen Curry.
Three names on that list are considered the top tier, and the other three are high on that list. Still, some believe there is a gap between the top three and the rest of the list.
For Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, his legacy as one of the greatest of all time continues to be somewhat lost in time. Abdul-Jabbar retired in 1989 before Michael Jordan won his first championship (in 1991).
Jordan retired before LeBron James's career ever began (in 2003(. With basketball changing drastically over the years since Abdul-Jabbar's retirement, his records continue to fall.
James will likely claim Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record next season, which puts him ahead in almost every category. Whether or not that puts James ahead of Abdul-Jabbar in the "GOAT committee's" view is something to debate.
Poll : Who is the greater player all time?
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
LeBron James
265 votes
