Former Lakers forward calls LeBron James the GOAT

The “greatest of all time” debate is often a never-ending one.

In the NBA, the conversation is largely between Michael Jordan and LeBron James, with Jordan considered by many to be the greatest player of all time.

Former Los Angeles Lakers forward Michael Beasley believes that James is the GOAT and calls his love for Jordan as the GOAT “the persistence of an old love.” Beasley has played in the NBA for more than a decade, playing with James for the Lakers from 2018 to 2019.

“I feel like people who look at Michael Jordan as the GOAT, I don’t mean any disrespect, but you’re just holding on to old feelings,” Beasley said on the OGs podcast. “Like you have to admit the fact, What I just said is. Like I have 40,000 (points) right now.”

James certainly has a compelling reason to be the GOAT, and he’s only added to that over the past few seasons. He is the NBA’s all-time scoring leader and the first and only player in league history to score more than 40,000 points. James also has unparalleled longevity, becoming the only player to play in twenty consecutive NBA All-Star Games.

Still, Michael Jordan surpassed James in several important ways. Compared to James’ four championship rings, Jordan won six NBA championships. Although James has participated in the NBA Finals many times, Jordan has never lost in the NBA Finals.

Jordan has also won five NBA MVP awards, while James has four. Jordan also beat James to win the NBA scoring title. He led the NBA in scoring an incredible ten times, while James only achieved it once.

Ultimately, both players are considered the greatest, and that makes sense. Jordan and James each have their own advantages, but no matter what, there is no doubt that they are the best players in NBA history.