Basketball is literally the only sport where you see dudes counting rings to determine a players greatness. Messi finally won a World Cup but even before that he was already established as GOAT in soccer. Barry Bonds is considered one of the best ever, with many arguing he’s the GOAT with no World Series. When you watch NFL media, they’ve readily accepted Mahomes greatness and some already accept him as a GOAT candidate or one of the most talented they’ve ever seen. No one ever says “he has to win xyz super bowls to impress me.”
What’s even funnier is this style of player comparison in basketball did NOT exist in the 70s, 80s or even really 90s. We know this, because Jordan was anointed the GOAT at 6 rings when there are legends every bit as successful as him who also have 6 or more rings (KAJ, Bill Russell). It’s a gatekeeping tool that was developed in the 2000s by fakkit old heads to protect Jordan’s legacy. I also have to believe Nike and the media played a part in pushing this narrative to keep Jordan relevant because he’s too profitable for them.
In reality, Jordan was an excellent wing playing in the worst era of basketball ever. The Bulls were loaded in a weak era. Mf retired temporarily and the team didn’t miss a beat still winning 50+ games and were one suspect call away from getting to the ECF (Nike probably made that call because Bulls in the ECF without MJ is a bad look.)
These are FACTS. Saggy tit old nikkas can stay mad
here we go again
LeBron's defense is usually thought of in a positive light, but his lack of defense contributed to 4 of his Finals losses, as the man he was guarding all improved their output astronomically. Iggy, KD and Kawhi all had Final stats greater than their season stats that helped their team win the championship over him.
