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WATCH: When Steve Harvey Explained Why LeBron James Deserves to Be in the GOAT Debate With Michael Jordan

Published 04/01/2021, 3:39 PM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

The NBA is full of narratives, but none have been more prevalent than the GOAT debate. Two players have clearly separated themselves from others in the same; LeBron James and Michael Jordan.

Jordan is often seen as the superstar who changed the nature of the game. Before him, the league had never seen a shooting guard dominating the game in such a manner.

USA Today via Reuters

The 6’6″ guard was a wrecking ball offensively and a nuisance on the defensive end, often shutting down the best of players, resulting in MJ winning a staggering tally of 5 MVP trophies and 6 championships.

LeBron, on the other hand, has emerged as the new challenger for the throne of GOAT. The 36-year-old is probably the most all-round player the NBA has ever seen.

From playmaking to scoring to defense, James can do it all. With such a unique skill-set, he has become a lock for the GOAT debate.

Steve Harvey explains why LeBron James deserves to be in the GOAT conversations

Back in 2020 when ‘King James‘ and the Lakers had beaten the Denver Nuggets for the Western Conference title, popular TV personality Steve Harvey spoke about the LBJ and MJ GOAT debate.

Harvey said, “I’ve always said the greatest basketball player is Michael Jordan. I’ve always said that And I think that he is the guy. People got mad when they saw the series. ‘He was a hard to play with.’

“That’s how you win. It’s not no hard to play with. It’s how you win. That’s what you take to win. He was an amazing basketball player, and he revolutionized basketball. He put basketball on the global level.”

The 64-year-old then made a point about why LeBron James deserves to be in the GOAT conversations. “Now Jordan played 15 years. LeBron is in his 17th year.

“You can’t name a person. That has played 17 years at this level here. If this dude wins an NBA championship on his 3rd team, you going to have to put him in the conversation as one of the greatest basketball player.”

He added, “You got to start talking about this dude as one of the greatest basketball players. And, arguably, you could put up an argument for Jordan. You can put him and Jordan in a serious argument.”

LeBron did end up winning his 4th ring after beating the Miami Heat. The 36-year-old is now in the hunt for his 5th ring this season, but faces a massive task ahead of him with teams like the Nets and the Clippers.

With LBJ not showing any signs of slowing down, James might add even more individual accolades. He has already made a strong case for being the GOAT. Can he surpass Michael Jordan for the throne by the end of his career?

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Written by:

Aditya Mohapatra

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Aditya Mohapatra is a sports enthusiast who primarily covers the NBA for EssentiallySports. Having graduated in Mass Communication, he has prior experience in writing for ABP News, and has been writing for EssentiallySports since November 2020. This die-hard Los Angeles Lakers fan feels that LeBron James is the best thing to have ever happened to the NBA, and will hold a healthy debate with anyone suggesting otherwise.
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