“That’s the stupidest thing ever, that’s like saying Karl Malone and Charles Barkley are not great players” - Robert Horry believes LeBron James doesn’t need more rings than Michael Jordan to be considered the GOAT
Over the past decade, the GOAT debate involving LeBron James and Michael Jordan has been never-ending. While most feel the Chicago Bulls legend is the greatest of all time, the LA Lakers star continues to inch closer with his exploits on the court.
The main argument for Jordan has always been his championship rings and his record in NBA Finals. He led Chicago to two separate three-peats to end with six titles and never lost on the game's biggest stage. James is not far behind him with four rings, but hasn't enjoyed the same level of success in the finals.
The main argument put forward by many is that until James' ring total matches that of Jordan, he can't be in the GOAT conversation. However, one former player feels that shouldn't be the case.
During a recent interview with TMZ, Robert Horry sounded off on how titles aren't the sole metric of greatness.
"No, cause that don't mean anything... That's why it's a team sport... They measure great players by how many championships they win when that's the stupidest thing ever.
"That's like saying Karl Malone and Charles Barkley are not great players. All these others idiots who don't play basketball and who have never played basketball wanna judge a guy's greatness by his number of championships. They're idiots."
Robert Horry explains why LeBron James doesn't need more rings than Michael Jordan to be the GOAT:
"That don't mean anything!"
(via @ballnetwork)
basketballnetwork.net/old-school/tha… https://t.co/cbek7VZYxp
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Is Robert Horry's point in the LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan debate valid?
While Michael Jordan's dominance in the finals is a strong factor in his GOAT case, Horry's point does make sense. Since basketball is a team sport, championships shouldn't be the only thing gauged when looking at legendary talents.
Also Checkout:- Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James
If rings were the sole factor, late Boston Celtics legend Billl Russell would be the undisputed GOAT since he won 11 titles. Even Horry would be ahead of Jordan as he won seven rings over the course of his career.
LeBron James might not have the same level of postseason success as Jordan, but team building does play a part in that. The Bulls did everything they could to put winners around Jordan. However, in James' first run with the Cleveland Cavaliers, his team didn't boast the same level of talent.
Along with being one of the game's top players for nearly two decades, James is on the cusp of breaking a record nobody thought would ever be touched. Outside of something catostophic happening, the Lakers star is likely to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading scorer.
1335 Points until Lebron passes Kareem.
At 25 points a game, that happens in game 54 this year. https://t.co/7eVUu2a8xF
Longevity should certainly play a factor when debating who the GOAT is. When his career ultimately reaches its end, LeBron James will likely be able to say nobody was as good as he was for as long as he was.