Michael Beasley picks LeBron James as GOAT urging fans to ditch feelings about Michael Jordan
LeBron James and Michael Jordan have long been connected to one another in the debate for the greatest of all time (GOAT). The legacies of the two NBA legends have been intertwined for a number of years now, with fans split in regard to who they believe deserves the title of GOAT. While Jordan's defensive abilities and six rings gives him the edge in the eyes of many, others see things differently.
Many believe James continuing to impress in year 21 gives him the edge. Along with records such as the league's all-time leading scorer, and being the only player to eclipse 40,000 points, James' case continues to grow stronger.
Of course, there are those such as Stephen A. Smith who have made it clear that regardless of what LeBron James accomplishes, MJ is still the GOAT. The way Michael Beasley sees things, Jordan fans need to look at things through a different lense.
Speaking in an appearance on The OGs podcast, he weighed in on the GOAT debate, throwing his support behind LeBron James.
"LeBron. And I can give you very compelling argument. If we had right here, all players from history, stats, no names. We stack the best. Point guard, shooting guard, small forward, etc. Whatever. You can put that man's stats up. and he can be the best 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
"Just come on. I feel like people that saying Michael Jordan is the goat. Like, no disrespect, but y'all just holding on to old feelings."
Former LeBron James teammate shuts down GOAT debate
The debate regarding which NBA legend is the greatest of all time has continued to be a popular debate topic over the years. When LeBron James would accomplish a historic feat, the occasion would only add fuel to the metaphorical fire regarding the debate.
Similarly, when James would come up short during his career, the situation would be used by many against his case, adding fuel to the fire in another way. While this debate has continued to be a major talking point in NBA circles, and on NBA podcasts, not everyone believes there should be a debate.
As James' former teammate Carmelo Anthony indicated in 2020 while speaking to CBS Sports, he isn't a fan of the debate topic. The way he sees things, by entertaining the debate, we're not appreciating greatness.
"I don't like it. And I say that because whenever we do that, we fail to appreciate what we have in front of us. Any time these comparisons are made, whether it's anybody -- old school versus new school -- it's like, why can't we just appreciate everybody for what they bring to the game?"
As James continues to impress as he nears 40 years of age, the debate is sure to rage on in the years to come. Heading into this offseason there has been quite a bit of talk regarding James' future in the league.
From the sounds of things, despite still being in year 21, James still has plenty of gas left in the tank.