The greatest basketball player of all time

The “GOAT” refers to people who are the “Greatest Of All Time.” Most of the time people try to find the GOAT in sports: taking all the players who played that sport and determining who was the best. This can be done with football, soccer, volleyball or even gymnastics. Today, I will be explaining who I think is the GOAT in basketball. To find the GOAT you need to look at ALL the players, including players who are retired or have passed away.

Now, you don’t even need to know basketball to have heard names like LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Shaquille O’Neal. All these players have been recognized at sometime or another for being the best. I know that everyone has their preference of what makes someone a GOAT. For example, Bill Russel would be considered the GOAT if you think the amount of accomplishments someone has done makes them the best because he has won 11 NBA championships. If you’re more about dominance and longevity, you might say LeBron James would be the GOAT.  Considering players’ average points per game or their amazing defensive skills, I believe that Michael Jordan is basketball’s Greatest Of All Time.

Michael Jordan best represents the term “winning.” He went six for six in the NBA finals when he was with the Chicago Bulls. His opponents were scared of him before he even stepped on the floor. People were mad when they had to cover him because, quite honestly, they couldn’t. 

I thought the lanes opened up when Michael Jordan used to drive. I used to be like, ‘Wow,’” said Jordan’s former teammate Scottie Pippen. 

If you watched old games Jordan played in, he would have two or three people on him and still be able to get around them and make the shot. He made it look easy. Statistically, Jordan averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. 30.1 points is the highest in NBA history. Additionally, he was even recognized as Defensive Player of the Year in 1988. 

The above proves that Michael Jordan was overall the greatest with scoring and defence. He was fearless. What shooting guard is salivating to be in the paint battling with the big boys trying to get the rebounds? (Not many I’ll tell you that.) He excels in all parts of the game, and no one really comes close to it. No one has had the will like Michael’s to be the best.