Stephen A. Smith stands his ground on GOAT debate as LeBron James inches closer to breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record
With LeBron James rapidly approaching the NBA's regular-season scoring record, the topic of the greatest of all time has continued to surface. Although some fans seem content to appreciate his greatness, others have continued to pour fuel on the fire in regards to the GOAT debate.
Considering the fact that LeBron James has shown in Year 20 that he has more than enough gas in the tank to keep going, the question becomes, if not now, then when? If surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league's scoring leader doesn't earn James the title of greatest of all time, then what will?
As NBA history sits just a few games out of reach, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith thinks taking the title of scoring king isn't enough. In his eyes, the feat isn't enough for James to surpass Jordan as the GOAT. He defended Michael Jordan's status as the greatest basketball player of all time on "First Take."
"LeBron James is on the Mount Rushmore of basketball," Smith said. "One of the greatest players to have ever played the game. No doubt about it, he has exceeded expectations, and I have nothing but respect, profound respect, for the greatness of LeBron James. But ... he never was, he never has been, nor will he ever be greater than Michael Jordan.
"It's not even a debate for me. ... The only reason I discuss it is because people occasionally ask, and I always get annoyed at the question because I'm appalled that anybody would think I'm going to change my mind based on what I saw. There's nothing to discuss here."
You can see his comments kicking off the video above before we make the jump to Kendrick Perkins' response to Smith.
Stephen A Smith shuts down the LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan debate
Ultimately, Stephen A. Smith believes that the NBA community should be celebrating the accomplishments of LeBron James. Although he admittedly engaged in the GOAT debate, he made it clear that as James approaches the scoring record, the focus shouldn't be on who's greater.
"This is a time we should be celebrating the Herculean efforts, the greatness, the commitment to excellence, the superb play, the statesmanship, the ambassadorship, of all things that are LeBron James," Smith said. "This dude is something special. I will miss him when he is gone. The game should miss him when he is gone.
"He is nothing short of phenomenal."
Of course, in the eyes of many critics, the one thing LeBron still needs if he wants his legacy to compare to Michael Jordan's is more championships. This season, with the LA Lakers struggling to turn impressive individual performances into wins, that hope is fading fast.
As the Lakers (25-28) sit in 13th place in the Western Conference, with one of the worst records in the NBA, it's no secret that something needs to change. Ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, Kyrie Irving requesting a trade out of Brooklyn could reunite him with James.
If a deal does happen, LeBron James may close in on yet another championship.