No matter what is happening in the NBA, critics and analysts can never stop talking about the GOAT debate and finding someone to compare to Michael Jordan. In the past, it was Kobe Bryant, now, it’s evolved to LeBron James.
In the newest episode of Carmelo Anthony’s 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, the NBA legend opened up about who cares more about being the GOAT – LeBron James or Michael Jordan. It’s an interesting position for Anthony to be in, being a player who idolized Michael Jordan but is also one of LeBron James’ best friends. Anthony revealed his answer on who he thinks cares more, and it’s LeBron James.
“I think Mike did it already”, Anthony said. “So Mike is the, he’s the target. You get what I’m saying? It’s for y’all to debate that. It ain’t for me to say that…But then you have a young man that’s coming along who understands that’s what I’m coming for, the same way MJ was talking about coming for those 11 rings…So Bron sees that, he’s inspired by that…So I’m going on a journey of being great and through that journey, there’s going to be a point in time where if I do what I have to do, I will be in that conversation with my idol. So now, once I get to that conversation, I don’t got to go on the road show to say I’m the greatest, I already put myself there.Now he’s getting the same mindset that MJ got. Y’all determine [who’s the GOAT]. I’m here now… To answer the question, who cares about it most, I think Bron probably cared about it the most because he was the one who was striving to get to that.”
While Carmelo’s answer won’t please LeBron fans, it makes perfect sense. Had Michael cared as much about the stats, he admitted himself that he would have never retired after the first threepeat. He wasn’t chasing the same ghost that LeBron James currently is. Still, it’s a debate that seems to perpetuate as long as the NBA exists.