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Ray Allen's take on the Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James GOAT Debate
As someone who competed against Michael Jordan and LeBron James and played with the latter, Ray Allen’s opinion carries weight. Especially when it comes to the GOAT debate.
“I never thought it was about a game of cat and mouse or tag. Michael Jordan, he propped up this league, and he allowed it to grow. He had such an impact on [the NBA] and other sports leagues, not only in this country but around the world, where he made it very popular for corporations to bring on athletes as endorsers to grow their product. It didn’t happen before Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan made it acceptable across the spectrum. So the things that he’s done, we are forever indebted to him, similar to Tiger Woods in golf," Allen said.
When it comes to on-court comparisons, the Hall of Famer explained why it's tough to draw a parallel between the two.
"Michael Jordan played a different game than LeBron does, he played in a different era. Statistics never equate when you compare across eras because the game is so totally different today than it was back in the ’90s,” Allen said.
Jordan inspired James
However, the 10x All-Star did pick MJ as the greatest of all time. He emphasized that what James has done throughout his career reflects what Jordan means to the current Lakers' superstar.
"LeBron is a product of MJ, so a lot of what’s in LeBron — in his DNA — comes from Michael," Allen continued. "For anybody that says that LeBron is the GOAT, they’re growing up in today’s era, and they believe what they believe based on how it feels and what he means to them, and that’s OK. But the way MJ affected the game, man, he had a stranglehold on the league and he struck fear in everyone because he was an unstoppable player."
Jordan’s legacy
Jordan was different; his game almost single-handedly took the league to new horizons. But his greatness goes beyond his success on the court. MJ's timing was perfect; he transcended professional sports, made individual brands a thing, and made basketball a global phenomenon.
Jordan’s greatness, his aura, his love for the game, his success, his body of work, his dominance, his legacy, what he meant to the culture, his brand, his impact, his vibe, his excellence, and what he meant to the game are all unmatched.
Allen recognizes that and that's why there's no doubt in his mind -- His Airness is still the greatest basketball player we've ever seen.
