Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is undeniably one of the best basketball players on the planet. However, when it comes to the debate of ‘Greatest of All Time’, NBA fans get restless. Similarly, Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan is perhaps the strongest contender for the GOAT title. Recently, a Dallas Mavericks great, and a Jordan fan himself, picked James in the GOAT debate, sparking a riot on NBA Twitter.
The 14x All-Star Dirk Nowitzki always considered His Airness as the GOAT. But, in a recent press interaction, the Mavericks legend admitted that he would run out of arguments to defend MJ if James achieves a certain historic feat. This response created a wave of reactions among NBA fans on Twitter.
The LeBron James vs Michael Jordan GOAT debate rages on
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In a video shared on Twitter, while responding to a reporter Dirk Nowitzki said, “I always say MJ is the G.O.A.T, if he [LeBron James] surpasses [Kareem Adbul-Jabbar] with the scoring record I’m kind of running out of arguments for Michael [Jordan].” Nowitzkis’ stance on James surpassing fellow Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record as a criterion for being the GOAT didn’t sit very well with the fans. LeBron James has less than 1,000 points left to beat Abdul-Jabbar’s staggering record of 38,387 points. Notably, Jordan, who had played lesser games than the other two, scored 32,292 points with the best NBA average of 30.1.
Jordan fans emphasized MJ’s two retirements in between his career as a counter-argument for the scoring record. While the opposing arguments insisted on keeping the “what if” out of the equation. Notably, a user upset with Nowitzki’s statement said, “This is coming from a man who personally does not like LBJ“.
Here are some more reactions from NBA Twitter:
If Jordan did not take those years off, not even having a discussion.
— Richard Scharlat (@RScharlat44) December 25, 2022
mj never won a series without pippin. Can you name one all star player that bron played with that stayed healthy for more than 2 year?
— anthony (@justize28) December 26, 2022
Lebron is the real GOAT because he beats them in almost all categories, then don’t tell me about the rings or it will be Bill Russel the GOAT
— El hebreo (@Elhebreo5) December 26, 2022
95 percent of the guys jordan played in the finals aren’t even top 20 all time
— Bartholomew (@goutahjazz14) December 26, 2022
— Pastor Nick – 2022 WS CHAMPIONS (@realnick_713) December 25, 2022
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Dirk Nowitzki’s love for Jordan
The 2007 MVP holds the record for playing for the same franchise for the longest span. Notably, he played 21 seasons with the Mavericks. The Jordan fan even had the opportunity to play against his idol when MJ represented the Washington Wizards. After having played his first game against MJ, the German said, “It was everything I hoped for.” Nowitzki had an impressive NBA career, averaging 20.7 points over his career, finishing with 31,560 points.
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Watch This Story – Years Before Calling Himself the GOAT, LeBron James Wanted To Honor Michael Jordan, Pushing NBA To Take a Huge Step
Do you agree with Dirk Nowitzki? In the LeBron James-Michael Jordan debate, who will you pick as the GOAT? Let us know in the comments below.