In the recent episode of ESPN’s ‘First Take’, Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins discussed Shaquille O’Neal’s claim that LeBron James will end up being the greatest NBA player of all-time if he passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the no. 1 in the NBA’s scoring list.
Perkins agreed on what Shaq said but Smith didn’t agree on it. Smith says that for him, LeBron James wouldn’t surpass Michael Jordan in the GOAT conversation and he’ll be always the no. 2 of all-time.
“I understand how phenomenal LeBron James is, he’s on the mount Rushmore, I got him number 2 all-time. I got him number two in the history of basketball, and you would think I’ve crucified this man.“
Smith said that he saw what Jordan had to go through on his NBA career and claimed that the league was much better and harder that today’s NBA.
“But here’s the deal: I saw what Jordan had to endure to get to where he was and to stay there. And the NBA game was very different back then, significantly rougher and the road to prosperity was very much harder. And that is what stands out in my mind.“
Smith added that James wouldn’t eclipse Jordan’s record of a perfect 6-0 in the NBA Finals and even claimed that Jordan would’ve been 8-0 in the NBA Finals hadn’t he retired in 1993-94 and 1995-96 NBA season.
“To be 6-0 in the NBA Finals, 6 NBA Finals MVPs, unblemished in Championship round competition, would have went 8-0 if he hadn’t retired after his father passed away. I’m telling you right now, to be, because of that, and because of what I saw from the day boy Pistons, because of what I saw from the Knicks, because of the Cleveland Cavaliers, because of all of those teams — LeBron can’t eclipse that. I’m gonna always have MJ number one.”
James has four NBA MVPs, four NBA championships and four NBA Finals MVPs on his resume. He’ll turn 37 years old this year and will have a few years to surpass MJ’s six NBA championships.
Do you think LeBron James will surpass MJ when all is said and done?
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