LeBron still has a realistic shot at GOAT...whether you like it or not

[ClipperRevival]

He's got a shot. His 2016 finals really shot him up the all time rankings and carries a lot of weight. Most now have him solid top 5 with some at top 3. If he beats GSW a couple more times, there will be a lot of people putting him in the same table as MJ.

But he will be 32 next season. Father time is catching up. MJ 3 peated at the age 33-35. It's his 2nd 3 peat that really solidified his consensus GOAT status. It comes down to what LeBron does from here on out. History is not on his side though. What MJ did was the exception and not the rule. Realistically, LeBron will have about 2 elite athletic years left. Then he'll start to lose a step and continue to decline.

[bobopenguin]

bron stans are crazy.

[ClipperRevival]

In my head, I see him as the best all-around player to ever lace em up. Many agree with me. He's the greatest athlete ever, and potentially one of the most skilled ever for his size/strength. He's 6,8" built like a rocket ship, and passes the rock like Magic ****in' Johnson. Has underrated dexterity, makes finishing layups going full speed look easy. Has the touch of a skilled heart surgeon. His instincts on both ends are impeccable. Any athlete knows this. The way he naturally times his chase-down blocks for example; that's a gift. It's what we call anticipation. And he has that on both ends. So when you combine his incredible mental gifts with his incredible physical gifts, it's no surprise why he's been the undisputed number 1 guy for almost 10 years straight.

Crazy thing is, he's not close to being finished. Still has at least 3 years of elite play left, and in total 7-8 years of great basketball.

GOAT athlete no question.

Let's not make one GOAT level finals skew reality. His footwork was always questionable and that is a fundamental part of the game. With his size/strength and him being guarded by the smaller man 90% of the time, he could've developed a great post game and taken his impact and efficiency up another level. He never had a great midrange game. Not great from the triple threat position. Not great in iso situations. Not great with a live dribbe. Bad first step. Not a good two foot leaper.

And despite all these flaws, he still achieved so much. And that is a testament to his amazing natural athleticism. In terms of overall impact on the game, few were better but let's not pretend he didn't have flaws. He just overwhelmed his opponents with his athleticism many times. Like those chase down blocks? That's the ultimate epitome of natural athleticism. Sure, timing has some to do with it but it mostly comes down to can you get there. But he was a very cerebral player and was devastating when he had a head of steam.

[Psileas]

LeBron still has a realistic shot at GOAT...whether you like it or not

Of course he does. If we're talking about realistic options, who is the GOAT is a matter of personal opinion and you shouldn't care what the majority believes.

[ArbitraryWater]

IDK man, I don't consider myself anywhere near an expert on the NBA (outside of knowing players. I would guess I probably know the names of more NBA players than most people on ISH, but that's just because I internalize stuff like that for whatever reason), so I can't judge 97-98 MJ vs current LeBron. LeBron had an amazing finals, but peak LeBron ends that series before 7 games IMO.

which LeBron would have ended that series before 7 games, considering LeBron never had a finals series nearly as good?

He wasnt this mentally strong and battle tested ever before... players go different paths.

Yes, current LeBron is an upgrade on '97-'98 MJ. Thats not hard to see.

[ArbitraryWater]

He's got a shot. His 2016 finals really shot him up the all time rankings and carries a lot of weight. Most now have him solid top 5 with some at top 3. If he beats GSW a couple more times, there will be a lot of people putting him in the same table as MJ.

But he will be 32 next season. Father time is catching up. MJ 3 peated at the age 33-35. It's his 2nd 3 peat that really solidified his consensus GOAT status. It comes down to what LeBron does from here on out. History is not on his side though. What MJ did was the exception and not the rule. Realistically, LeBron will have about 2 elite athletic years left. Then he'll start to lose a step and continue to decline.

going out on a limb I see

The just 1-2 month ago win over the 73-win team did that... but as expected, once something happens, suddenly there are more barriers to cross.

[feyki]

He lost that chance with his first two finals .

20-7-7 , %49 TS , 5 TO's , 94 Ortg , 108 Drtg .

[andgar923]

Accomplishments and stats aside, he doesn't come close.

His game is lacking when compared to MJ's.

[nathanjizzle]

on par with jordan?

[Gileraracer]

This puta can't even shoot nor win a ring without colluding with 2 other superstars. He shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence as Jordan.

[Dro]

lol

[Klay 3D]

He needs 6+ rings or else play at a high level until he's like 42.

[SilkkTheShocker]

He needs 6+ rings or else play at a high level until he's like 42.

Not sure why he would need 6 rings. Every team LeBron beat in the Finals was superior than any team Jordan beat in the Finals. LeBron would had dragged his nuts over the Jazz and Blazers