Basketball fans have long debated who the sport’s all-time greatest player is. The answers vary, but one name that’s constantly tossed around is Michael Jordan. One can understand that, as the Chicago Bulls icon performed some amazing feats throughout the course of his career. Jordan himself has long been aware of the chatter that has surrounded NBA greats like himself. He’s even weighed in on the debate, and I really have to commend him for the take he shared during one particular interview from back in the day.
What Did Michael Jordan Say About Being Added To The GOAT Conversation?
Years ago, the six-time NBA Finals winner participated in a wide-ranging interview with Slam. At the time, the fan-favorite athlete discussed various aspects of his life and career, such as his greatest career accomplishments and his feelings on fame. Talk also turned to basketball icons Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. The interviewer specifically asked His Airness where he positions himself in relation to the Laker and Celtics legends. Faced with that query, the Bulls star shared a very cerebral response:
I don’t put myself above them. I think that we’re all on parallel ground here. You know, they educated me about a lot of things about the game, from a team standpoint. So I can’t put myself above…I mean, people try to, but we played in different eras.
Michael Jordan made a very good point, one that’s still valid today. It’s definitely easy to compare and contrast the qualities of players who are contemporaries. Dueling centers Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain or LeBron James and Kevin Durant are prime examples. However, what Jordan emphasized during his interview is that while he did play at the same time as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, he was in a different part of his career compared to those two, who were both drafted in 1979. Jordan further explained:
I had an opportunity to go against them, in the peak of their careers, while I was still young. And I went against them, when I was at the peak of mine, when they was on the other end. So it was a passing of trends there, and we never had the opportunity to play against each other in peak years. You know, so it’s hard to say that I’m above them, by no means. I like to consider myself parallel to them.
On that same token, it’s hard to compare MJ to the likes of Kobe Bryant or Kevin Garnett because, when they entered the NBA, the Space Jam star was a seasoned veteran. So they could be considered “parallel” to Michael Jordan in many ways. Jordan’s tempered response is much appreciated by this fan, and it’s truly refreshing. That’s especially because we’re currently in an era in which current and former players like to share wild hot takes.
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