Who’s on your GOAT list? Who cracks your top three? Every fan has a different answer, but one name often dominates the top spot: Michael Jordan. Right? Well, you won’t believe how wild these GOAT rankings can get when fans start debating. Everyone has their own heroes and their own criteria. But when a seasoned veteran, a basketball legend, and the WNBA All-Star Game coach of 2024, Cheryl Miller dropped her GOAT list? She certainly didn’t make the fans happy.

Cheryl Miller is a name that changed women’s basketball forever. She dominated at USC and later became a coach and then a broadcaster. With decades of hoops knowledge and firsthand experience, when Cheryl Miller speaks, people listen. However, her recent comments on the GOAT debate left fans shocked. Her take sparked such a frenzy that former NBA star Eddie Johnson couldn’t help but weigh in.

Cheryl Miller pulled no punches when she dropped her GOAT list on the All The Smoke podcast. Fans didn’t exactly love it. “I gotta go MJ, LeBron, and then Kobe,” Miller said. “When you look at LeBron, in my opinion, he is the greatest phenomenal specimen of an athlete.” But here’s where she really shook things up, she put longevity over everything. “I don’t know if we’ll ever see a physical marvel of someone of his magnitude. You gotta take that and then longevity… Okay, LeBron, MJ, Kobe. I just go from longevity, and he is still ballin’.” Wow, shocking right?

Kobe at No. 3 isn’t surprising, given that his tragic accident cut his career short. But MJ at No. 2? That’s where things get messy. For starters, Jordan’s got more rings, more dominance, and more GOAT moments than just about anyone. And Eddie Johnson knows it as well. So he wasn’t really buying Miller’s argument either. He hopped on X (formerly Twitter) and dropped a hilarious reaction to the podcast clip: “😳. Good thing they don’t have your address, Cheryl.” 

At the end of the day, GOAT debates will always get people talking. But LeBron over MJ? Yeah… that’s a tough sell. Still, while Miller’s list didn’t sit well with fans, you can at least see her point. Longevity does matter, and LeBron, in his 22nd season at 40 years old, isn’t just defying time—he’s rewriting what longevity means in basketball. Averaging 25 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game, he’s still playing at an elite level. Love him or hate him, you have to respect the King. But does longevity outweigh dominance? That’s the real debate.

Miller’s willingness to challenge mainstream opinions isn’t limited to just the GOAT debate. She’s also making waves with her stance on WNBA star Caitlin Clark.

Cheryl Miller’s wild take on Caitlin Clark has the Internet in shambles

From the moment Caitlin Clark stepped into the WNBA, she had a target on her back. And let’s be real, we’ve all seen it. Opponents have hit Clark with hard fouls on the court and subtle (and not-so-subtle) jabs on social media. Much of the online chatter has suggested that her treatment is tied to “privilege.” But that was mostly speculation until Cheryl Miller came forward and said the quiet part out loud.

The Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer didn’t hold back, admitting what many around the WNBA know but won’t say: race is a factor. Speaking on the DraftKings Network, Miller didn’t hold back, “I’m gonna be honest because it needs to be said. I can relate to that young lady,”  she admitted. Then she doubled down, ” I felt for her. I know what it’s like to be hated.” Then came the actual shocker, she continued, ” I know what it’s like to be a black woman and hated because of my color.”

Miller’s comments just threw gasoline on an already heated debate. Fans are split. Some praise her for exposing the reality of the game’s culture, while others dismiss her take as way off base. What do you think? Is Clark’s treatment about her game, or is there something deeper at play?