"We're so hung up on those 6 championships" - Kevin Garnett shoots down Stephen A. Smith's GOAT debate with fierce response
At the height of his career, Kevin Garnett was regarded as one of the best power forwards in the NBA due to his skill set and hunger for winning. In a recent interview with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith on his show, Garnett had a passionate stance when it came to the GOAT debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
"We're missing out on greatness," Garnett said, "because we're so hung up on those six championships. You think Mike Jordan was thinking about Bill Russell when he was chasing six? No. ... We gotta embrace where we're at. We got to start giving flowers out more."
From Garnett's perspective, people nowadays get too "hung up" on Michael Jordan's immaculate six NBA championships whenever comparisons are made with other elite players. The Celtics legend mentioned that with that mindset, people tend to lose sight of the importance of appreciating the greatness that is before them with current players.
Moreover, Kevin Garnett argued that when Jordan was chasing those six rings to solidify his position among the NBA's greats, he was not thinking about the legacies that Bill Russell and other stars before him had established. He wanted fans of the game to "embrace" where the league was and where it would be heading in the next few years.
The GOAT debate has been a longstanding back-and-forth between fans and analysts that a unanimous and conclusive answer has always been far-fetched. This is mainly because each side has an excellent point to make in the debate.
Kevin Garnett talked about the LA Lakers being LeBron James' team
During the same interview on "The Stephen A. Smith Show," Kevin Garnett continued his praise of LeBron James, saying that the LA Lakers remain the 19-time NBA All-Star's team.
"It's still LeBron's team ... looks bouncier AD ... he looks younger," Garnett said.
There have been discussions that the Lakers are Anthony Davis' team, given that LeBron James is 38 years old. However, with how the Lakers are playing, there's no denying that the Lakers remain James' team.
In the 15 games James has played this season, he has averaged 25.7 points (57.8% shooting, including 41.4% from 3-point range), 8.1 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. The numbers and the eye test on the court speak for themselves; the Lakers star has not missed a step.