With the amount of talent the NBA has seen through the decades, there are always a few players who emerge as the best of the best.
Michael Jordan did it in the 90s while with the Chicago Bulls after racking up the accolades and making notable play after notable play in pivotal games.
For the newer generation enamored with basketball, LeBron James, and even Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, have been the peak of the talent in the world.
James rose to prominence immediately as a rookie in 2003 and is still going strong in 2021 at 36 years old, despite injuries derailing his seasons in two of the past three campaigns.
Still, James’ skill, IQ and athleticism have always been utilized to the very best throughout his year, leading to four NBA championships with three coming from different teams.
The GOAT debate typically boils down to Jordan vs. James, and the NBA world is almost always split in discussing who is supreme between the two.
For 2021 No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons, James is the GOAT, via Mark Carman of FanSided:
“It’s hard for me to put somebody ahead of LeBron cause LeBron is the best player I’ve seen with my eyes,” Cunningham said. “Trust me I’ve seen all the Michael Jordan stuff, dude is different. I can’t argue with the fact that you think he is the GOAT but in my eyes I say LeBron.”
Cunningham, 19, later discussed how he grew up watching James, not Jordan, which certainly influenced his perspective.
Now, the top rookie will have the chance to play against James next season when the Pistons and Lakers face off.
[vertical-gallery id=42000]
[mm-video type=video id=01fd0mwhdbq436p741vc playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fd0mwhdbq436p741vc/01fd0mwhdbq436p741vc-557403ec5f24ee73622f749b0ec6e00e.jpg]