Lebron thinks he is the GOAT in the NBA. Do you agree with him?

[odanny]

Yesterday I said Lebron had been to the finals 4 times in a row TWICE. I think I'm wrong. The internet says he reached the finals 8 consecutive times? Wow that's impressive. This is what I was remembering. It felt like he went to the finals every year for a decade. That's because he did!


LeBron James has appeared in the NBA Finals 10 times in his career. During these 10 appearances, he has won four championships and has a 4-6 record in the Finals. He notably reached the Finals eight consecutive times between 2011 and 2018.

And to have gone to the finals 10 times? That's pretty GOAT worthy. Not his fault his teams lost 6 and won 4.

But Michael is 6 and 0. That's gotta mean something.

Kind of funny he has 41 series playoff wins and is 41 years old. What other athlete has played at his current performance level at 41 years old? In basketball, football, baseball, or hockey? We all know Brady is the GOAT, and he did not lose much on his fastball at 40. Compare that to his contemporaries in Manning and Brees who could barely throw a pass in their mid 30's. Jagr played at a high level into his 40's, but none of them were this good at 41 in terms of athletic ability.

 

[sealybobo]

Kind of funny he has 41 series playoff wins and is 41 years old. What other athlete has played at his current performance level at 41 years old? In basketball, football, baseball, or hockey? We all know Brady is the GOAT, and he did not lose much on his fastball at 40. Compare that to his contemporaries in Manning and Brees who could barely throw a pass in their mid 30's. Jagr played at a high level into his 40's, but none of them were this good at 41 in terms of athletic ability.

When I was in the hospital a male nurse said clearly Lebron is taking PED's and the league overlooks it or hasn't tested him.

While he has faced rumors and speculation throughout his career—particularly due to his sustained elite performance in his late 30s and early 40s—these claims remain unsubstantiated allegations.

• 2013 Biogenesis Scandal: In 2023,, unredacted federal documents from the 2013 Biogenesis scandal showed that a close associate of LeBron (Randy Mims) and a former trainer (David Alexander) were linked to the investigation, but investigators concluded that LeBron did not receive any illicit substances.
  • Jeff Teague Comments: Former NBA player Jeff Teague jokingly claimed on a podcast that LeBron was on steroids during his Miami Heat days, but later clarified that his comments were a joke meant to praise LeBron's, dominance and "superhuman" recovery, and that he does not know if LeBron uses PEDs.
  • Chael Sonnen Claim: Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen alleged in 2023 that he and LeBron shared a "drug doctor" and that LeBron uses EPO (a drug that increases endurance), but he provided no evidence to support this claim.
  • Alleged "Recovery" Focus: Much of the speculation centers on LeBron's remarkable ability to recover from injury and maintain high-level play at an advanced age, with some commenters suggesting he might use substances for recovery rather than strength.

Jordan might have taken them too. Remember the year he decided he needed to get bigger in order to deal with the Bad Boys?

 

[odanny]

Pete Rose took steroids before the league was bothering to test for them, his friend/servant/roommate was a known steroids dealer. Rose is the all time hit king, performing like someone much younger as he got older.

LeBron and Brady both have/had strict exercise regimens they follow, which includes sleep and diet as much as exercise. They both can do what they do/did because of how they prepare their bodies.

 

[Care4all]

My heart still lies with Larry Bird....!

But comparing Jordan with James....Michael beats him imho.

 

[sealybobo]

Pete Rose took steroids before the league was bothering to test for them, his friend/servant/roommate was a known steroids dealer. Rose is the all time hit king, performing like someone much younger as he got older.

LeBron and Brady both have/had strict exercise regimens they follow, which includes sleep and diet as much as exercise. They both can do what they do/did because of how they prepare their bodies.

And they took PED's. Brady lost 10 pounds after he retired? No one does that. They all gain weight after they retire. He's off the drugs now

Pete Rose hit a lot of singles not home runs. How come he wasn't hitting them out of the park like Sammy Sosa and Mark Aguire? Or Barry Bonds. He wasn't jacked at all.

 

[MarathonMike]

And they took PED's. Brady lost 10 pounds after he retired? No one does that. They all gain weight after they retire. He's off the drugs now

View attachment 1250252

Pete Rose hit a lot of singles not home runs. How come he wasn't hitting them out of the park like Sammy Sosa and Mark Aguire? Or Barry Bonds. He wasn't jacked at all.

Pure speculation, no facts.

 

[Mac-7]

Lebron thinks he is the GOAT in the NBA. Do you agree with him?​

I dont know and dont care

For the record my favorite NBA player is Larry Bird on my all-time favorite team the Boston Celtics

But that was a long time ago

 

[DukeU]

No no no. You know what it's about. It's about who the GOAT is. Russell doesn't qualify. He was on a great team. He was a Dennis Rodman type. Played D. Is Dennis the GOAT?

Kobe, Jordan, Lebron, Magic Johnson maybe can be in the conversation?

Tim Duncan is not. He's great don't get me wrong but not GOAT material.

Kobe knows Jordan was better than him. It killed Kobe. That's why I love him. He was so competitive. Lebron, not so much. That's what's missing from Lebron. His desire to win. You whipper snappers just don't understand because you didn't live through it.

Remember, I hated Jordan because he just wouldn't lose. After it was all said and done, I had to tip my cap to the dude. He refused to lose. He was the GOAT even before he won his first championship. Magic, Bird, the Pistons all knew he was the GOAT. At least the greatest of their time.

The more time goes on the more respect I give Lebron for everything he has done. I said he went to 4 finals in a row with Cleveland and 4 finals in a row with Miami. Had he won just 2 more championships, I'd probably be saying he is the GOAT right now. And that's not all on him. I know it's a team sport.

But it comes down to desire and heart. Jordan had more. Jordan would have beaten Lebron every time. And Lebron would have taken it just like everyone else had to take it.

You still didn't answer the question.

Is it rings, stats, or longevity?

I would rank in this order.


M. Jordan
K. Bryant
S. O'Neal
M. Johnson
L. James
K. A.-Jabbar
L. Bird
W. Chamberlain
A. Iverson
T. Duncan

 

[DukeU]

LeBron has been a part of 41 series playoff wins. There are 24 NBA teams that do not have 41 series playoff wins.

Lebron has played 23 seasons.

Jordan only played 15.

Imagine what his numbers would have been had he played 8 more seasons.

 

[sealybobo]

You still didn't answer the question.

Is it rings, stats, or longevity?

I would rank in this order.


M. Jordan
K. Bryant
S. O'Neal
M. Johnson
L. James
K. A.-Jabbar
L. Bird
W. Chamberlain
A. Iverson
T. Duncan

It's not rings necessarily because all the guys with the most rings were on that Celtics team. So Russell was great, but not GOAT great. Neither is Bob Horry. Lebron gets my respect for having 4 rings. 3 different teams. And for how many times he's been to the finals. He may actually be the GOAT. Stats and longevity go to Lebron. He sure is something.

But watching Jordan play, and watching Lebron play, I know Lebron would have been just another great NBA player like Charles Barkley or Reggie Miller who played during the Jordan era and never won a ring.

Or, because of longevity, and joining an already great team, Lebron would have won a ring or two after Jordan left or when he took a break like Hakeem, Shaq and Tim Duncan did.

 

[sealybobo]

Lebron has played 23 seasons.

Jordan only played 15.

Imagine what his numbers would have been had he played 8 more seasons.

Jordan went to college 3 years and won a National Championship. Lebron went straight to the NBA. So you can at least take off Lebron's first 3 seasons. Throw them out. I'd like to see Lebron from his 4th season to his 19th, 15 years and compare those to Jordan's. One thing we know Jordan won 6 rings in those 15 years. Lebron won 4 from 2012-2020. That's 4 in 8 years. Jordan won 6 in 6 years. Don't forget Jordan took a 2 year break too.

Larry Bird played 13 seasons in the NBA, all with the Boston Celtics. His career spanned from the 1979–80 season through the 1991–92 season.

 

[Couchpotato]

And they took PED's. Brady lost 10 pounds after he retired? No one does that. They all gain weight after they retire. He's off the drugs now

View attachment 1250252

Pete Rose hit a lot of singles not home runs. How come he wasn't hitting them out of the park like Sammy Sosa and Mark Aguire? Or Barry Bonds. He wasn't jacked at all.

WTF are you talking about? Most pro football players lose weight after tent retire.