Most teammates of Michael Jordan are quick to anoint him the GOAT. One Hall of Famer who won a ring with him in Chicago, however, thinks the entire conversation is ‘blasphemy’.

Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtics legend Robert Parish, who spent his last year in Chicago as Jordan’s teammate and won his last title as a Bull, recently sat down for a Q&A session with Hoopshype on the launch of his memoir, ‘The Chief’. The four-time champion, who won his last ring as a Bull, shared his perspective on the GOAT debate and grabbed all the headlines.

“Nobody. Nobody. You can’t say that any player is better than another. I don’t know how many players have come through the NBA… I think that is an injustice and it’s criminal, an assessment of everybody else,” Parish stated.

“You think about that table where the best of the best sits. You cannot single out one player who’s better than everybody else sitting at that table. They are all the best of the best. I don’t subscribe to that philosophy about the GOAT. That’s b——t, in my opinion. Nobody is better than everybody else that ever played in the NBA. Now, you might be the best player in your era. I agree with that. But the best player to ever walk on the NBA basketball court? That’s blasphemy.”

The Chief has already shared in the past that he doesn’t consider Michael Jordan as the GOAT, as he highlighted how the Chicago Bulls star didn’t have great numbers against top teams. He also revealed how Jordan was the leader in the Chicago Bulls dressing room, and no one other than Parish would talk back to him.

Parish was never really taken aback by Jordan’s aura during his time in Chicago, probably because he was joining the Bulls from the Celtics, where he had already shared the locker room with stars like Larry Bird and Kevin McHale. Since he was not a stranger to stardom when he joined the Bulls, his reaction was probably different from others.

However, back in 2017, during his appearance on In the Post with Elvis Hayes, Parish revealed his top three players. “Three guys come to mind right off the top, and they are my Mount Rushmore of centers. That’s [Wilt] Chamberlain, [Bill] Russell, and Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar]. Put them in any order you want. In my opinion, they are the three best ever.”

While he is so harsh on Jordan, he isn’t the same with LeBron James, even though he doesn’t consider him to be the GOAT either, but respects him immensely.  The respect for James was on full display when he recently surpassed one of Parish’s own records, prompting a heartfelt message from the Hall of Famer.

Celtics legend Robert Parish sends a heartfelt message to LeBron James on breaking his long-standing record

The Los Angeles Lakers veteran LeBron James added another feather to his already illustrious cap. As he featured in Saturday’s win over the Orlando Magic, the 41-year-old surpassed Celtics legend Robert Parish for the most games played in NBA history. With 1,612 games played, the Lakers star has broken Parish’s long-standing record of 1,611 games.

Following this feat, the Celtics legend delivered a heartfelt message to LeBron on X. “Congrats on passing the most games played 1611!! You continue pushing for greatness/excellence combined with grace and respect for the game is a feel good moment for me!!” he wrote.

James had 12 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals, and helped the Lakers to extend their winning streak to nine games. In his 23rd season in the NBA, he is not the same player anymore, but still, his experience, leadership, and hunger are invaluable traits that could be the difference for the Lakers in the playoffs.

Parish has always been a big admirer of LeBron, as he never shies away from giving his flowers for exceptional longevity and fitness. “The longevity, the dependability, the reliability that LeBron is currently displaying, I think it’s a testament to how he takes care of himself,” Parish told HoopsHype. “You know, he takes his fitness seriously, diet and fitness. That’s a philosophy that I subscribe to. Actually, I still subscribe to that philosophy. I believe in taking care of yourself.”

The GOAT debate aside, LeBron is already in the twilight of his career and is searching for one last hurrah. The Lakers look like a promising unit when everything falls into place. They have a strong backcourt partnership between Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, whereas Marcus Smart is the leader of the defense, while DeAndre Ayton tries to dominate the paint and add verticality to the roster. The bench is decent as well with some good scorers. To top it all off, they have LeBron James’ experience and expertise.