The GOAT debate in the NBA is one that will be going on forever, and though there are really just two or three legit candidates, fans have their personal favorites who they’ll back no matter what.
Because arguments about the NBA GOAT spring up often among groups of friends or on social media, we decided to make things easier for you by creating a GOAT debate cheat sheet where we give you the best stats and arguments for every GOAT candidate imaginable, from Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to lesser discussed candidates like Oscar Robertson and Shaquille O’Neal.
We should mention that the arguments for certain candidates aren’t foolproof due to the fact that some statistics, like blocks and steals, and awards, like Player of the Month or 3rd Team All-NBA, didn’t exist early on in the NBA, meaning players like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain could have an even stronger case if they did.
Regardless, you can check out our GOAT debate cheat sheet and the arguments that can be made for each candidate below.