It’s a debate that has been worn out in recent years: “Who’s the NBA GOAT, Michael Jordan or LeBron James?”
At this point, both sides are dug in with their opinions, and most arguments cover the same familiar territory. Yet, just when it seemed nothing new could be added to the debate, Colin Cowherd came along and dropped a fun pop culture analogy for the GOAT talk.
And it actually kind of works to further the debate.
On Thursday’s episode of The Herd, Cowherd mentioned James notched his third straight triple-double Wednesday night.
Cue the LeBron vs. MJ debate.
“So Michael Jordan was more like Seinfeld,” Cowherd said. “Nine great years, highly impactful, still discussed today. LeBron’s become Law & Order. We’re on Year 35, I watched an episode two days ago, it still crushes. I know Michael played 15 seasons and many of them were great, but he was a shell of himself at the end. LeBron’s in Year 22, on any possession, best player on the floor.
“It’s always been this Michael Jordan-LeBron thing. LeBron’s easily got the best resumé in the history of basketball. Michael was red hot for about eight to nine years. Red hot. He was the coolest player, he was the best-looking, he was the best-dressed. I’m not denying that.
“For a nine-year stretch, there’s nothing like him … I watched Air again three nights ago, I watched the movie about Michael Jordan … he’s still relevant today. …”
That’s an interesting way to look at the argument. Jordan had a shorter, more brilliant peak, but James has been consistently great for a longer period. Yet it’s also like admitting the argument can never be settled. Both Seinfeld and Law & Order are great in their own way. It would be impossible to pick one over the other.
Cowherd should get bonus points for somehow bringing another legendary player into the debate, Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell.
“You can’t give me this ‘Michael was six-for-six (in NBA championships),” Cowherd said. “If you want to do titles, Russell had 11. Stop pushing LeBron for being more successful. He got to 10 Finals, MJ to six.”
That brings up the obvious question: Which TV show would best represent Russell?
[The Herd With Colin Cowherd]
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.