Who is the greatest of all time in the NBA? It's not hard at all to give a name to that question, according to Carmelo Anthony. If the answer boils down to Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Michael Jordan, the latter is Melo's pick. But the Trail Blazers star insists while there can only be one, all three are great.
In making known his vote for the GOAT in the NBA though, Anthony made clear it's not a debate for him because basketball greats influenced the game in different ways. And it was the same for Jordan and James - the two played a generation apart and their legacies will be treated in varying perspectives.
It's liked MJ was part of the old school and his time slightly overlapped that of Bryant's shining moments. Then James is new school but there is no point in comparing the NBA greats. It's best to simply appreciate all these superstars, Anthony told CBS Sports.
He admitted that for him, the greatest is hands-down the former Chicago Bulls superstar, whose time in the NBA resulted in a plentiful harvest of six league titles, the same number of Finals MVP, and five MVPs. It was hard to argue with the records and how history is treating the now-retired Jordan.
"You know, MJ is the GOAT. He's the greatest ever. We all know that and we all agree to that," Anthony was reported as saying.
In making Jordan the GOAT, Anthony stressed that nothing should be taken away from the other contenders. There is no debating in the greatness displayed by MJ while campaigning with the Bulls in the 1980s and 1990s, but Bryant and James have their incredible moments as well.
In his book, Bryant and James are great at levels nearly close to that of Jordan, and in the case of James, presently the pride of the Los Angeles Lakers, he still has the time and space to prove how GOAT he can be, Anthony noted.
According to Fadeaway World, Anthony adding his voice on the GOAT discussion carries a lot of weight as he was able to play against the top three candidates. And he still competes against James, who is looking to win one or two NBA rings wearing the same colors worn by Bryant.
The two Lakers are great and there is no need to chip away from the one side to the other will gain. Bryant was during his time and so is James now so it's pointless to go down to the business of discrediting.
As for Jordan, his being GOAT is backed by insurmountable achievements. The man is not perfect but for Anthony, Jordan had the entire world, and not only the basketball crowd, entertained for a long time and that has to count big.
