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When Former Celtics Star Angered Bulls Fans by Claiming That Michael Jordan Was Not the GOAT

Published 11/01/2021, 5:30 PM EDT

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According to multiple fellow players, Bulls legend Michael Jordan has been regarded as the No.1 player of all time. He laid the foundation for the franchise to go on and win their hat-trick of titles; not once, but twice. Several players who were pipped to overcome Jordan’s greatness have come and gone, but the 14-time All-star’s legacy remains untarnished. Yet, Celtics great Robert Parish had firmly stated that MJ isn’t the best player in history.

Jordan was part of a Bulls squad that created history in the NBA. He won six titles, including multiple three-peats. Averaging more than 30 points, he was a 6-time Finals MVP. Even after retirement, Jordan has worked actively as an entrepreneur, social worker, and even owns the Charlotte Hornets franchise. During his prime, he was an unstoppable force. On the other hand, his former teammate Parish believed there was someone better than him.

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Robert Parish once said Michael Jordan isn’t the best of all-time

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68-year-old Parish was part of the NBA for two decades. He won 4 NBA titles during this time, and was a 9-time All-star. In the process, he was also Jordan’s teammate, when Chicago won the ring in 1997. In fact, he even connected with ‘His Airness’ multiple times on court. Although he knows Jordan well, the star still felt that his ex-teammate isn’t the best player ever. Instead, he picked another player from a slightly earlier era in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

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In a past interview, Parish was asked to offer his thoughts on the opinion that Michael Jordan is the No.1 player of all-time. To this, he said, “I don’t agree with that assessment. Michael was great in his time and you’ve got to give him credit for winning 6 championships in a row. Two three-peats. I acknowledge that and respect that. But as good as Michael was and he had exceptional talent, Kareem did that, that guy was unstoppable.” Jabbar averaged close to 25 points for the Bucks and Lakers.

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Robert Parish surely made a bold claim with this. This wouldn’t have pleased too many Chicago Bulls fans either. Both Jordan and Jabbar are legends of the 20th century, but who according to you is better? Comment below.

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Written by:

Sankalp Harikrishnan

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Sankalp Harikrishnan is an NBA and Tennis writer at EssentiallySports. He aspires to pursue Sports Journalism and has represented his institution in cricket, badminton, football and table tennis. Sankalp idolises Roger Federer and Stephen Curry, and has an inherent love for statistics.
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