Will we ever see a player clearly claim GOAT status

[Mrofir]

In our lifetimes will we see a player take this status away from MJ?

I believe it is highly probable that although players of MJs caliber will come and go, none of them will experience the perfect storm of good fortune and circumstance, combined with extreme talent and will to win. Good chance that when we're all dead MJ will still be regarded as the goat.

[livinglegend]

1-9

[FKAri]

Let's put a number on that. If you mean the next 50 years? Someone will definitely come along better than MJ though he might not be "greater" because he might not surpass his rivals the way MJ did or collect the accolades or even transcend the sport the way MJ did.

[Inferno]

[Dragic4Life]

Lebron James when he retires will be hailed as the greatest of all time.

[Mrofir]

Lebron James when he retires will be hailed as the greatest of all time.

Must win 3 championships with Cleveland and beat some real rivals along the way to even be in the conversation. Good luck

[Mrofir]

Let's put a number on that. If you mean the next 50 years? Someone will definitely come along better than MJ though he might not be "greater" because he might not surpass his rivals the way MJ did or collect the accolades or even transcend the sport the way MJ did.

well I'm 29 so let's say 52 years because I'm set to expire at 81, says right on the barcode

wishful thinking?

Nah 50 years is fine. I'm not sure someone will come along that's clearly better than MJ... transcend the sport is an interesting way of putting it

We're looking for a Tiger, a Federer.. but those are individual sports. MJ was able to accomplish that type of transcendence in a team sport in a way that no other athlete has in the modern sports world. Joe Montana maybe comes close but not quite. Gretzky again, but 4 championships in 20 years isn't the same as what Jordan did.. it's just crazy. And he did it in an era full of championship worthy superstars. All those guys would have won rings in today's league -- Barkley, Malone\Stockton, Ewing, list goes on..

I marvel as much at his good fortune as anything. Clearly he was one of the best players to ever play the game, perhaps even the best. But in an alternate universe somewhere, I'm certain that MJ has 2 rings, Barkley has 3 rings, Ewing has 2, and Malone has 2. There would be threads about Barkley 1-9 without KJ. For sure.

[dubeta]

LeBron

-Never went 6-24 in the finals

- No sidekick rings

- 4 MVP's

- Will retire with the highest Player Efficiency Rating of all time

- Didnt need a sidekick to stop being 1-9

LeBron passes the Eye Test and all this objective GOAT criteria

its King James

[Poetry]

- No sidekick rings

He made sure of that in 2011

[Mrofir]

LeBron

-Never went 6-24 in the finals, Irrelevant

- No sidekick rings, neither does MJ, Irrelevant stop obsessing about Kobe

- 4 MVP's, MJ has 5, and 6 finals MVPs

- Will retire with the highest Player Efficiency Rating of all time, and his 2014 finals loss will certainly be remembered for his startling efficiency

- Didnt need a sidekick to stop being 1-9, you're silly

LeBron passes the Eye Test and all this objective GOAT criteria, MJ obliterates LeBron in the eye test. early LeBron obliterates current LeBron in the eye test. Lebron is not an eye test kinda guy.

I got nothing against your guy but he's got a shit ton of work to do to even be in the conversation. Has not yet passed Kobe.

Even MJ wouldn't surpass what MJ accomplished if he had another shot at it. That's the point. We're not going to see another MJ because not only was he the best player, his existence occurred in the friendliest possible universe. He had legitimately difficult competition that was just affected in the perfect ways by his particular skillset, so many circumstantial things.. If MJ played today I have no doubt he would win 3-6 championships but it could be a completely different story, as we see happening with LBJ. This is why there will never be another.

[ImKobe]

When Kobe 3-peats.

[Dengness9]

He made sure of that in 2011

[SouBeachTalents]

He made sure of that in 2011