When we think of the NBA, one name immediately springs to mind. Whether you're a fan of basketball or not, everybody knows Michael Jordan. The six-time NBA champion dominated with the Chicago Bulls and was the stand-out player in a period that included Scottie Pippen, Charles Barkley, and Karl Malone.
However, when discussing basketball's GOAT, MJ feels a level of awkwardness and disrespect towards other names that are often forgotten about. Away from the obvious comparisons with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, and LeBron James, there are two other names that Jordan thinks deserve some praise.
Of course, Bryant, O'Neal, and James deserve to be in the conversation of the greatest basketball player of all time, with 13 NBA titles between them and a plethora of individual awards. Still, none of them stack up to what Michael Jordan has accomplished.
Michael Jordan's career highlights (selected)
6x NBA Champion
6× NBA Finals MVP
5× NBA Most Valuable Player
14× NBA All-Star
3× NBA All-Star Game MVP
10× All-NBA First Team
10× NBA scoring champion
3× NBA steals leader
2× NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion
Michael Jordan on the GOAT of NBA Debate
MJ feels two players are disrespected when he's called the GOAT
Chicago Bulls legend Jordan namechecked two individuals from a bygone era. Speaking in 2009 about his feelings about being spoken of as basketball's greatest player, Jordan told CBS Sports: “I don't want it in a sense because I think it disrespects Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West - you know all the guys that, prior to me, I never had a chance to play against."
Jordan spoke about how he was never able to compete against legends who played before him and therefore cannot be compared to them.
“What everybody is saying I am, I never had the chance to compete against other legends that were prior to me. When I hear it, I cringe a little bit because it's a little bit embarrassing because no one knows. I never had the chance, once again, to play against those guys."
Recency bias certainly plays a part when discussing the greats of basketball, which leads to former greats being somewhat forgotten. But Jordan is correct in his assertion that both West and Chamberlain are vital figures in the sport and deserve to be spoken of in a similar regard to him and others.
Jerry West doesn't hold the accolades that others mentioned do, with only one NBA championship to his name. However, he is seen as a pioneer of modern basketball and holds the honour of being the silhouette of the NBA logo. While Chamberlain holds many personal records within the organisation, as well as being a two-time champion. He is often spoken of by other former basketball players as the greatest ever.
It's always difficult to compare players of different generations, which is something Jordan alluded to: “I would love to have played against them, but I never did. And for you to say that I'm better than him ... I mean it's your opinion; it's their opinion. I accept that as their opinion."
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