Back In The Day NBA

Viral Young NBA Fan Who Chose Punishment Over LeBron Cheered By Older Generation

Shandel Richardson

Nov 16, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) signals no basket against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Nov 16, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) signals no basket against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The LeBron James-Michael Jordan debate about who is the greatest of all time entices just about every NBA fan.

Fans of all ages have joined this discussion in recent years ... even toddlers.

An adorable video recently surfaced of a young girl being asked by her father to say James is the GOAT. She refuses repeatedly. Instead, she chooses the punishment of staying in the corner before praising James.

The short clip has become a viral sensation.

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Old-school NBA fans quickly rallied around the girl. She immediately became part of Team Jordan, the group that feels James is far from the greatest. Jordan holds the edge in titles, MVPs, and scoring average.

James has done his best to stay in the discussion. He's still playing at an All-Star level despite playing in his 22nd season. Last year he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league's career scoring leader. James has bettered Jordan is just about every non-average based statistical category.

While James continues to add to his totals, there is one category he can never catch Jordan. He won all of six of his titles in six appearances. An undefeated Finals record is something few greats have accomplished. It is the only edge Joe Montana (4-0 in Super Bowls) has over Tom Brady.

Jordan forever holds this over James and now he has the backing of a toddler, too.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.Β  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins.Β He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.Β  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com