LeBron James celebrates after claiming the record.Credit:AP
Perhaps the most compelling argument in favour of James,who may be the most scrutinized player the NBA has seen,is that he has managed to dominate so many different aspects of the game for all of these years.
At 38,James continues to raise the bar when it comes to what experts think is possible for an elder statesman in a league where the average age at the start of the 2022-23 season was 26-years-old.
When it comes to longevity,James holds a clear advantage and the cushion he holds over Jordan in total career points,assists and rebounds will only widen as he has shown no signs of slowing down.
“It’s tremendous that he can still play like this in Year 20. His athleticism is incredible,and I’m happy for him,” Dallas Mavericks great Dirk Nowitzki said in December. “I always say Michael Jordan is the GOAT. But ... I’m sort of running out of arguments for Michael.”
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Former NBA coach George Karl,whose teams went up against both Jordan and James,also weighed into the GOAT debate last month. Karl suggested Jordan would have been even more dominant in today’s game amid a league-wide trend in favour of offence.
“Anyone who is debating Michael’s GOAT status doesn’t realise he would average a 40 PPG triple double in the modern game!” Karl,who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last year,wrote on Twitter.