It’s a question for the ages: Who is the greatest basketball player of all time? It turns out, NBA players are just like the rest of us, and it’s between Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
That’s according to The Athletic‘s 2024 anonymous NBA player poll where their staff interviewed 142 players, about a third of the league, from March 5 to April 11.
They were asked a variety of questions to decide who is the most popular choice for MVP, most overrated, player they’d least like to fight and referees, as well as new debates over the 65-game rule and the commissioner’s letter grade, the outlet explained. “All 30 teams had a voice.”
This is the first time in the poll’s history that Jordan has had this narrow of a lead.
The poll began in 2019, with His Airness receiving 73% to King James’ 11.9%.
The site took a break during the pandemic and picked the survey back up in 2023 with Jordan dunking a 58.3% over James’ 33%.
The Athletic’s Sean Amick that it’s James’ longevity in the game that’s helped him come close to MJ.
“He’ll be 40 years old on Dec. 30, yet is still great enough to be widely considered one of the best players in today’s game. While Jordan was epic in his 14-year career, from his 6-0 record in the NBA Finals to his five Most Valuable Player awards and his incredible two-way play, many players shared the view that James’ ability to remain elite for more than two decades puts him over the top,” he wrote.
While Jordan dominated most of his career, when he was James’ age he was in “the last of his two forgettable seasons” with the Washington Wizards. “He was putting up good numbers on a badWizardsteam that went 37-45 in both of his postseason-less campaigns.”
He also noted that James has “saved some of his best work for last.” He has broken Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’sall-time scoring recordand led the Lakers to the WesternConference finals just months later. Later that year, he led the team to win the inaugural In-Season Tournament title.
James is also the first player to be named to a 20th All-Star team in February of this year.
When it comes to who the GOAT is, 133 players cast their vote in this year's poll. The Chicago Bulls great Jordan took the lead with 45.9% of the votes, while Los Angeles Lakers star James got 42.1%. This is the first time in the poll's history that Jordan has had this narrow of a lead.
While Michael Jordan won the “Greatest of All Time” category for the third consecutive time, his once-massive lead over LeBron James has shrunk significantly with every passing poll. This time around, James almost took the mantle. The data speaks loud and clear…
The Athletic polled 133 NBA players for a new, wide-ranging feature, wherein 46 percent of respondents identified Jordan as the Association's GOATed player.
James has four rings but leads Jordan in nearly every other statistic. Jordan leads in points, averaging 30.1 to 27.1, but James beats Jordan in rebounds, 7.5 to 6.2; assists, 7.4 to 5.3; field goal percentages, 50.5 to 49.7; and 3-point percentages, 34.7 to 32.7. James also played in 400 more regular season games.
The second chart is a progressive list of the leading all-time NBA scorers. LeBron James is the leading scorer in NBA history. LeBron James has scored the most career regular season points in NBA history.
Bill Russell holds the record for most NBA rings with 11. Here is a list of NBA players with six titles or more: Bill Russell (11 championships) Sam Jones (10)
Smith gave five reasons for believing Jordan is the best player ever. These five include: the MJ brand, Jordan's killer instinct, the fact that he conquered his nemeses', his having staying power with the Chicago Bulls, and his unbeaten NBA Finals record.
In an anonymous poll by The Athletic surveying 142 NBA players, results found that the majority consider Michael Jordan the greatest player of all time (GOAT). And for the third consecutive time.
He was integral in popularizing basketball and the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s, becoming a global cultural icon. His profile on the NBA website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time."
His secret was self-motivation. What separated Jordan from every other player wasn't just his desire to win. It wasn't just his desire to be the best. What made Jordan the all-time greatest player was the unquenchable fire and self-motivation that powered him from one incredible achievement to the next.
He has great versatility as an athlete, but he also has those same intangibles as Magic. That was especially evident this season with the way his leadership and play and inspiration were key factors in our winning the championship. LeBron now may be considered the greatest to ever play the game.
He has competed in 10 NBA Finals (with eight consecutive appearances from 2011 to 2018), winning four NBA championships. He also won the inaugural NBA Cup in 2023 with the Lakers, and two Olympic gold medals as a member of the U.S. men's national team.
When it comes to who the GOAT is, 133 players cast their vote in this year's poll. The Chicago Bulls great Jordan took the lead with 45.9% of the votes, while Los Angeles Lakers star James got 42.1%.
What does GOAT mean? GOAT (or G.O.A.T.) is an acronym which stands for 'greatest of all time'. It is a tag which is reserved for the individual who is deemed to be the undisputed master of their sport.
Address: Suite 751 871 Lissette Throughway, West Kittie, NH 41603
Phone: +2366831109631
Job: Sales Producer
Hobby: Creative writing, Motor sports, Do it yourself, Skateboarding, Coffee roasting, Calligraphy, Stand-up comedy
Introduction: My name is Laurine Ryan, I am a adorable, fair, graceful, spotless, gorgeous, homely, cooperative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
