Michael Jordan voted as the GOAT in an anonymous player poll

Today's NBA players believe Michael Jordan remains the GOAT.

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It’s been 20 years since Michael Jordan last played in the NBA. However, his impact is still felt across the NBA, as evidenced by a recent anonymous player poll conducted by the Athletic. In that poll, 58.3% of the players voted for Jordan as the Greatest of All-Time (GOAT). While LeBron James was right behind him with 33%, the Chicago Bulls icon still reigns supreme in terms of all-time greatness.

Winning matters

There are many reasons why His Airness is considered the GOAT, but it’s his impeccable track record for winning championships that carries his legacy over the top. As one player who participated in the poll explained, if he were to choose a single player to win a game, he would pick Jordan without a doubt.

“MJ, for sure,” the player said. “Definitely 6-for-6 (in the Finals) is a big thing for me. But the way I look at basketball is (it’s) about the winning, and if I feel like I need (somebody) to go win me a game, I’m picking MJ over everybody. (I’d pick) whoever is going to carry me through a series, carry me through the playoffs, and is setting the tone. I think MJ checks all those boxes.”

LeBron is closing in

“The King,” though, is slowly bridging the gap. Four years ago, The Athletic conducted this same poll, and Jordan won in overwhelming fashion, receiving a whopping 73% of the votes, while LeBron had to settle for just 11.9%. Since that time, LeBron has racked up one milestone after another, including the all-time scoring record, which he broke this season.

Another thing going for LeBron is the fact that many players who are in the league right now grew up watching him play and not Jordan. By 2003, Jordan had already retired for the second time, while LeBron made his NBA debut in the 2003-2004 season.