Greatness is a quality only found in a few chosen ones, which is also true for the NBA. However unfathomable it may seem, the game measures it on two aspects, the most scalable being the numbers that reflect on the court. But for many, the second aspect has more worth in being admired. You gave a perfect guess! It is their values that influence the aspiring stars. Hence, Udonis Haslem has an excellent reason here for confessing his role model!

The recent episode of the podcast The OGs set the stage for Haslem to open up regarding his mindset on the game. In the show which also featured the former Indiana Pacers player Victor Oladipo alongside Mike Miller, the former Heat captain clarified his thought process.

Haslem had a clear vision here, “I needed every edge I can get, yeah like you know people talk about how MJ create scenarios in his mind. I used to create it in my mind.” While Udonis Haslem claims this Michael Jordan quality he adopted as an NBA star, he is determined to pursue that course as he says, “In my mind, when I look at you before the tip-off, literally, we not even on the court, we just locked in this little a– room and we got to fight to the death to come out.”  Clearly, this makes MJ his GOAT, but then why does he call ‘King James’ the real GOAT?

Of course, that’s not the only thing that makes the Chicago legend a GOAT. The dominance he had on the court helped the Bulls acquire six championships with two three-peats in the history books. He, almost single-handedly, created a golden era for the Windy City franchise through his offensive prowess, and his name echoing through the halls of the United Center is an example of his legacy.

While Haslem is all for His Airness and his tough mentality, he does believe that what the papers and numbers say cannot be hidden and they are singing praises of The Chosen One.

The wizard who beats numbers 

Hailing from Akron, Ohio, becoming the first pick in the 2003 NBA draft, LeBron James is one of the most record-breaking basketballers in the world. While kickstarting his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, it was the first of such records for being the youngest player in the history of the NBA to be drafted. This was followed by multiple records with the Cavaliers and Miami Heat till he got the title of the greatest basketball player in NBA history in 2023. While the legacy of the title continues, you might appreciate some specifics.

The top overall career point of 38,388, which is now 40,490 beating his own record, is what got LeBron James to the GOAT title. On his journey to this point, it was another top-tier player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who lost the race. 

Haslem, much like his co-hosts, has these numbers on the table while calling LeBron “The GOAT.” His point is while the numbers make LeBron the greatest, MJ, in a personal way, influenced his thought process through his way to become an NBA star. 

As Udonis himself put it: “Two things can be true.” Both of them can be GOATs in their own way. And they definitely are!