An anonymous vote with NBA players has determined who among Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant is the GOAT (greatest in history).
For decades, basketball fans have been engaged in a fierce debate over which of the greatest players should be considered the greatest of all time in the NBA.
Having won an impressive six championships, Jordan has undoubtedly earned a place in the GOAT debate, with James and NBA legend Bryant also at the center of the discussion.
But the debate may have finally been settled, as an anonymous vote among current NBA players has declared a clear winner.
In 2023, The Athletic conducted a study of 108 NBA players, including an anonymous poll asking who the greatest player to ever play in the competition is.
With an overwhelming 58.3% support, Jordan came out on top, leaving Los Angeles Lakers star James, who finished second in the poll, behind by a significant margin.
Speaking about Jordan, one player said: "MJ, without a doubt. The fact that he's 6-for-6 in the NBA Finals is very important to me.
"But the way I look at basketball is about winning, and if I need someone to win me a game, I choose MJ over anyone."
"I would pick the one who can get me through a series, through the playoffs and who sets the pace. I think MJ meets all of those criteria."
At 40 years old, James is still competing at the highest level of the NBA and has won four championships, being named NBA Finals MVP four times and Most Valuable Player four times.
However, the Lakers star secured only 33% of the vote, while Bryant, who finished in third place, received 6.8% of the vote from the player poll.
Explaining why he chose James over Jordan or Bryant, one player simply said: "I grew up in the 2000s."
Perhaps to some people's surprise, legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was not even selected by a single NBA player, while Tracy McGrady and Bill Russell were the only other players to receive mentions in the study./Express newspaper/
edition
t7 live
