Lakers News: Ex-NBA Player Has Peculiar Reason for Why LeBron James Isn’t NBA’s GOAT

A former NBA player has a peculiar reason he doesn’t consider LeBron James the NBA GOAT.

Apr 20, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts during the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets in game one of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-Imagn Images / Andrew Wevers-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Lakers superstar forward LeBron James is set to embark on his 22nd season in the NBA. James has done it all in his career, yet he still has the itch to play at the highest level. 

James, who could have retired a couple of years back, still has the urge to play, and his performance shows no signs of slowing down. The 39-year-old is a strong contender for the title of the greatest basketball player of all time. This debate, which has captivated the basketball world, pits him against the legendary Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. 

Jordan deserves to be in the conversation. Prior to James, Jordan was the undisputed G.O.A.T. Now, the narrative has shifted a bit, but not for former NBA player and guard Muggsy Bogues. 

Bogues, who played 14 seasons in the NBA for numerous teams, appeared on "The Mark Jackson Show" and said James is not the G.O.A.T because he is not a great free-throw shooter compared to Jordan. 

"LeBron can't shoot free throws. I'm not saying that he can't shoot free throws, but he's not a great free-throw shooter," Bogues said. "When it comes to the game of basketball, that's where it separates MJ and LeBron, in terms of the skill set. Michael did not have deficiencies in his game, fundamentally."

Muggsy Bogues on the GOAT debate:

“LeBron can’t shoot free throws. I’m not saying that he can’t shoot free throws, but he’s not a great free-throw shooter… When it comes to the game of basketball, that’s where it separates MJ and LeBron, in terms of the skill set. Michael did… pic.twitter.com/GLo6ljL6GZ

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 16, 2024

Free throws are a big part of the game, but they're not the be-all and end-all. James is a career 73.6 percent free-throw shooter, and Jordan is an 83.5 percent free-throw shooter. 

A few months ago, Bogues said that Jordan is the G.O.A.T. over James because he is more skilled and that James doesn't belong in the conversation at all. 

"Skill-wise there's no other than MJ, and Kobe was the 2nd coming of that and had that, and him being the 2.0 version MJ and being able to have that mindset, that same killer instinct mindset that MJ had that's what separated him from a lot of guys," said Bogues. "LeBron is one the greatest players to ever play this game, longevity-wise, and statistic-wise, but skill set I'll always give it to Jordan. MJ was a killer, LeBron is nothing like him."

The G.O.A.T conversation is everlasting. Some people's minds are already made up, whether they believe it is Jordan or James. One thing is for sure: they are both all-time greats and changed how basketball is played forever. 

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