"LeBron is different" Tiger Woods chimes in on the NBA's classic GOAT debate
Tiger Woods isn't really comparable to many other golfers. When it comes to deciding which of them is the greatest of all time, most players agree on him. Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and a few others get consideration, but Woods arguably stands alone at the top.
That's true for many sports. In tennis, the greatest of all time just announced her retirement, Serena Williams. Michael Phelps is the greatest swimmer of all time and perhaps even the greatest athlete of all time. In the NFL, Tom Brady is considered the best to ever do it. There are tons of athletes like that in many different sports.
In the NBA, though, it's not as clear. Fans are divided on whether or not the greatest is Michael Jordan or LeBron James. As James continues to play, defying logic and breaking records, he'll continue to get support, but what Jordan did is unrivaled.
There's no wrong answer in that never-ending debate, but the greatest golfer of all time is putting his two cents in about which player he thinks is better.
Tiger Woods, perhaps the golf GOAT, chimed in on the NBA GOAT debate
Woods knows a thing or two about winning and dominating a sport. He told ESPN (via BolaVIP):
"They're both great in different ways. If you look at MJ, he was a prolific scorer and played defense like no other, always first-team all-defense, but LeBron is different. He's like a hybrid of MJ and Magic Johnson, which is so different because he's bringing the ball up a lot.
"MJ never really did that. I mean, he had Pippen as a point forward a lot of times, and you would think that's kind of LeBron-ish, but they're very different in how they help both teams."
He did give credit to Jordan, but still gave James the edge:
"What MJ did, getting to the Finals and dominating the league like he did, he did it in a different way than LeBron's doing it. Just because of the nature of their bodies, their builds and their game and their mental make-up. But at the end of the day, they both win.
"They're both guys that we look at and say it's unbelievable what they're doing. They're just changing the game, the game how it's played. We didn't know it could be played that way and they both have done it."
Woods, despite health scares, infidelity issues, public scandals and increasing age, remains one of the best and most popular golfers today. He probably knows what it takes to be the best.
While he doesn't play basketball, he clearly follows it and understands it, so his analysis can't be discounted. Ultimately, even though many credible people have given their answers, it won't change who is considered the greatest of all time.
James' fans will point to it as a source for their guy, but Jordan fans will disregard it as Woods is neither a basketball player nor an analyst. No one is going to change their mind, and that includes the pro golfer, and the debate will continue to rage on.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit ESPN, Bolavip and H/T Sportskeeda.