NBA players poll: Who do they pick as basketball's GOAT? (2024)

Jordan prevails over James as the NBA’s greatest player of all time in our HoopsHype poll, but it’s not a landslide win. In our poll, the split is 49-37 in favor of Jordan over James. Conversely, The Athletic’s poll had 45.9 percent for Jordan and 42.1 percent for James.

Lakers legend Kobe Bryant also received a decent share of the vote with nine percent. Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Kevin Durant, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony each received one vote.

Somewhat surprisingly, no player voted for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, or Magic Johnson, who rank highly in our HoopsHype 77 greatest players ever list.

While the vote was nearly split between Jordan and James for the American voters, there was an overwhelming consensus that Jordan was the best player ever in the eyes of international NBA players.

The cultural significance of Jordan and Team USA’s 1992 Dream Team was referenced several times by international-born players in our HoopsHype poll.

“For me, it’s Jordan because I wasn’t born at the time, but I started watching the NBA because of Jordan,” Brazilian Warriors rookie Gui Santos told HoopsHype. “The music and highlights from him from ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ (Space Jam). I was watching that. I haven’t watched him play a lot, but because of the way he changed the game, the Olympics in 1992, he brought the NBA to the rest of the world. I say he’s the GOAT for that.”

As expected, the older the player was, the more likely he was to vote for Jordan as the greatest NBA player of all time. Jordan dominated the vote amongst players over 30 years old, born before 1995, and in the 25-29 range born in the second half of the 1990s. King James was crowned the greatest NBA player among players born in the 2000s, one of the few blocks of voters where he triumphed.

“I think, in general, the topic always has a recency bias,” Kings forward Harrison Barnes told HoopsHype. “I think each generation has who they think is the greatest player of all time. There are the usual names you hear. Is it based on winning? Is it based on impact? Is it based on who had more of a shift in the game? Obviously, if I have to give an answer, I’ll go with Jordan. He’s my favorite player. He stacks up with the wins argument, impact on the game, and individual performance. I think, in general, the conversation has to be a little bit more nuanced. I think right now, it’s sensationalized, and it’s wild. Some of the names that are brought in there. How come Tim Duncan’s resume doesn’t get there? How come Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s resume doesn’t get there? It’s mostly two or three guys that get talked about.”

James, a better passer and more physically suited to defend small-ball centers than Jordan, resonated more with point guards and narrowly lost among centers who voted in our poll.

Meanwhile, Jordan garnered the most votes among shooting guards, small forwards, and power forwards.

It’s also worth noting that James, considered the best small forward ever, got his worst results against Jordan among small forwards who voted. Make of that what you will.

This category has to be a tough one to swallow for LeBron stans, with James not prevailing even among players who play or have played with him. HoopsHype polled a mix of eight players who either played with James previously or currently and found they were split between James and Jordan, surprisingly.

One of LeBron’s current teammates, Spencer Dinwiddie, voted for James due to a wide array of reasons.

“LeBron because I judge it on who I’d draft No. 1 in an all-time draft,” Dinwiddie told HoopsHype. “He’s had 20-plus years of basically going to the Conference Finals. I’d say globally, LeBron is a bigger icon, like business included. I think Jordan is a bigger hero, in a sense, just because he was so different from what we had seen. We’d already seen dominant guards and wings once LeBron came in.”

Pelicans forward Matt Ryan, who was a teammate of James during the 2022-23 season voted for him because of his all-around game and physical tools.

“LeBron, not even a question,” Ryan told HoopsHype. “His size, strength, speed, skill, and IQ. He had the ability to guard one through five in his prime. He’s arguably the best passer ever. In his prime, he was 6-foot-9, 260 pounds, and could do everything. He’s had longevity. He’s going to have every single record there is. When you look at what he’s still doing at 39 years old, it’s absolutely incredible.”

Kings guard Malik Monk, who spent one season alongside James on the Lakers during the 2021-22 season, voted for James based on his longevity.

“Nobody has dominated like LeBron,” Monk told HoopsHype. “I think he’s been playing in the league and dominating longer than Colby Jones has been born (laughing while pointing to him across the locker room).”

What about those who didn’t vote for James?

Multiple players cited growing up watching Jordan as the main reason for their vote and another player cited Jordan’s 6-0 Finals record.

Some players who participated in our HoopsHype poll were willing to go on the record with their stance on the GOAT debate. Below are some reasons players voted for Jordan as the greatest player ever.

KJ Martin: I feel like you have to take into account what you do on the basketball court, but also the impact off the court. Jordan’s shoes are a big thing. I think they’re always going to sell. I couldn’t imagine if social media was a thing when he was playing how much more — even though he’s already known worldwide – I feel like it would be on a different level. To have six rings, never lose in the Finals, win MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season, and average 30 for your career, that’s tough. There are a lot of great guys. Kobe Bryant was my favorite player growing up. Watching him and my dad (Kenyon Martin) compete in the Finals in the Western Conference Finals. MJ, Kobe, LeBron.

Dennis Smith Jr.: When I watched him, it’s like he invented basketball. You look at the numbers, how he played, how he could score and defend. It’s like he perfected the game. You don’t pass 99 on Madden and 2K, so I got Mike.

Cody Zeller: I’d say MJ. It was just the very early part of my childhood seeing the end of his run. I might have a little bias because I played for him for eight years. It was fun to be around him in Charlotte. He was around a decent amount. He’d come in, sit at the end of the bench, and yell at the refs. He’d come to shootaround, too. Anytime you could spend a few minutes with him. A couple of times, he sat in on a film session with the team. It was really cool to have him around. He’d shoot around a little. No playing.

CJ McCollum: LeBron is still playing, so his story is still being written. I say Mike for his impact on the game, his legacy, his shoes, the championships, and how dominant he was from his averages standpoint.

Bojan Bogdanovic: He was 6-0 in the Finals. I think he brought basketball all around the world to the fans. He was an icon.

While NBA players who voted for Jordan made a compelling argument, so did those who tabbed James as the best ever. Below are some of their reasons for selecting James as the greatest player ever.

Malcolm Brogdon: I think the answer to that question is relative and depends on your era. A lot of people in the era before me will say it’s Michael Jordan. People before that era will say it was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I don’t think it’s disrespectful to any of them. For me, LeBron was the guy I grew up watching, and I’ve always thought he was the best player I ever watched.

Sandro Mamukelashvili: LeBron’s done stuff in the NBA, which I don’t think anybody else can do, especially right now at his age and the way he’s playing. He’s first in points, fourth in assists, and he’s up there in every single category. He’s played against great competition and did his thing. I don’t think you can take that away from him. He’ll be the most athletic, powerful, and the best player to ever play the game.

Zach Collins: I never got to watch Jordan live. I only saw highlights. Maybe I’m a little biased. LeBron’s been my favorite player since I’ve watched basketball. Now, he’s got the scoring record, four rings, and other records that probably won’t ever be broken. I think the longevity, too. When you play in the NBA, and you’ve got to play 82 games and hopefully playoffs, and he’s stayed healthy through all that and kept an enthusiasm about the game this long, I think that adds to his legacy.

Bruno Fernando: I’m a LeBron guy because that’s what I’ve seen. I didn’t get to watch MJ play with all due respect. I respect the things he’s done for the game and how much of an impactful person he is around the world and the sport of basketball. To see what LeBron is doing at age 39 or even the last three to five years and continue to get better and elevate the game to such a level. It’s crazy to see his longevity and ability now, where it looks like he’s not even slowing down. That’s who I grew up seeing, and when I grew up with my classmates going to school, this was the guy you’d talk about, LeBron.

Dyson Daniels: I think it’s complicated. I think different players are the greatest of their eras. I think MJ was the greatest in his era, and LeBron’s been the greatest in this era. It’s hard to compare. It depends on what you want to look at. If you want to look at longevity, it’s LeBron. If you want to look at career stats, it’s probably MJ with six titles and going 6-0. Those two are definitely at the top. My generation is LeBron, so I’ll go with LeBron.

While it’s overwhelmingly clear that Jordan or James is considered the greatest player ever, Bryant – who mirrored Jordan’s game as close as anyone – solidified his third overall ranking. Below is a look at those who went against the grain and voted for Byrant or another player as the best ever.

Kevon Looney: I love Kobe Bryant. I’m picking him over Jordan. I grew up watching Kobe. I got to see the highlights of Jordan. He’s got some great highlights, but I’m going with Kobe. I got to see him up close. As a kid, he was my hero.

Jarrett Allen: Just to be devil’s advocate, I’m going to say Bill Russell just because I think ring culture is a scam.

Brandin Podziemski: I’d say a guy I liked to watch was Larry Bird. He was a really big trash-talker who could back it up. He told you what he was going to do on a nightly basis. I would’ve loved to go against him and talk trash with him. Being able to win championships and have the respect he had from all his peers is incredible and something I want to get to. I think my teammate, Steph Curry, is up in that conversation as well with what he’s been able to do with certain personnel and without. It’s incredible. The thing about Steph is he gets complete buy-in from his teammates based on how he treats his teammates and how he gets them going. Everybody is ready to run through a wall for Steph. I think that’s what’s made him a great leader and a great player.

You can follow Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) on X, formerly known as Twitter.