The NBA fraternity is always up for a GOAT debate between LeBron James and Michael Jordan. While the new-gen followers tend to prefer the Los Angeles Lakers star because they have seen him live, many players and analysts choose Michael Jordan as their pick because of his greatness. However, Brooklyn Nets star Michael Porter Jr. seems to have taken this debate to a new level by adding Nikola Jokic to the mix.

Recently, Porter appeared on a podcast where he shared his unique GOAT selection. “People will say Michael Jordan just to agree, but they haven’t watched the film. They’ll just say it to agree with everyone else. For me, with my two eyes from what I’ve seen, I’m going to say Nikola Jokic is the best player I’ve ever seen… From what I’ve seen day to day, I haven’t seen anybody as dominant as Nikola,” the Nets forward opined.

Porter’s opinion was completely out of left field, and the video immediately went viral on social media as netizens were discussing his thought process. Jokic is undoubtedly one of the best players of the modern era, but he still has plenty of time left in his career. The opinion is baffling because even Jordan started getting GOAT shouts only late into his career, and the same has been the case for LeBron James. But overall, MPJ knows Jokic better than anyone else. He has spent his first six years in the NBA with the Serbian big man, shared the same dressing room, and seen him from close quarters week-in, week-out. So he sees the Serb from a different perspective than most people.

While MPJ may have a habit of saying left-field stuff, this feels like a genuine take. The 27-year-old Nets forward has witnessed Jokic’s greatness from close quarters and, not having seen Michael Jordan play live, sticks with his former teammate, the most dominant player he has played with/against in his career.

Denver Nuggets talisman Nikola Jokic still needs to work to earn a place in the GOAT conversation

Nikola Jokic certainly is one of the most dominant players in NBA history. The Serb’s resume matches most of the greats of the game. In his 10 seasons in the league, Jokic has already bagged three MVP awards, seven All-Star selections, seven All-NBA honors, the 2023 Western Conference MVP title, and an NBA Championship, as well as a Finals MVP award.

There’s no doubt about Jokic’s dominance on the ball with his offensive prowess and ability to find teammates with his exquisite passing.  As a seven-footer, he is the only player in the NBA to average a triple-double, third overall behind Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook.

While he is gradually building an empire on hard work and perseverance, he still needs to do a lot more to warrant a place in the GOAT conversation with players like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, all of whom have won multiple Championships whilst also making an exceptional impact in the league. LeBron, being the only active player among the three, is still going strong in his 23rd season, highlighting what it takes to be even in the GOAT conversation. Jokic is surely on the right track and is undoubtedly the most dominant player in the modern era, but he needs multiple Championships and deep playoff runs to establish himself as the stalwart of this generation.