LeBron James proclaims himself the GOAT over Michael Jordan after surpassing 39,000 points

LeBron James hits 39,000 career points, reigniting the NBA's GOAT debate.

LeBron James proclaims himself the GOAT over Michael Jordan after surpassing 39,000 points

LeBron James (L) and Michael Jordan (R) (Images via Getty)

In the Los Angeles Lakers’ victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, LeBron James scored 39,000 points for the first time in his career. Because of LeBron’s achievement, there is now more debate on who the best player of all time is. LeBron feels that he should win the title because of his most recent Instagram post.

In the NBA, there is a lot of controversy around the GOAT discussion. The majority of people do not fall within this category. The majority of observers, players, and even fans have strong feelings on the issue. Still, LeBron James is putting up excellent work. Even though he is getting close to turning 39, he keeps adding achievements to his résumé. James is accomplishing amazing things.

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Ultimately, recency bias is a factor to take into account. LeBron is undoubtedly still performing at a high level. However, Jordan has been out of the game for a while. He currently does not have the possibility to play in the NBA. There will never be a true winner in the NBA GOAT argument. LeBron James recently posted a picture of him proclaiming the GOAT status with a caption stating:

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But when LeBron leaves the game, we’ll know more about who was the best player. We can have a meaningful discussion about it after the recency bias goes off, maybe five years after his retirement. Fans should just enjoy LeBron James’s presence for the time being. Despite approaching his 40th birthday soon, he doesn’t appear to be slowing down at all. Therefore, that previously mentioned retirement might not happen for a very long time.

Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James

LeBron James is deserving of a higher ranking than Michael Jordan, and his case got stronger once he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time top scorer. Jordan tallies more points per game on average.

Lebron James and Michael Jordan
LeBron James and Michael Jordan

Yet, James outperforms Jordan in re­bounds and assists. Both players are notable for strong wing de­fence. But, Jordan had led the league in steals thrice­ in his career. James has not won a ste­als title yet.

As for caree­r duration, James holds the upper hand. Given that health remains a non-issue – at 38, he shows no signs of slowing down – James’s overall stats will continue to rise. While he’s now the NBA’s highest scorer, one question re­mains: Will he break the re­cord? It’s highly possible that James might not hit the 40,000 care­er point mark.

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