Active NBA Players Still Think Michael Jordan is the G.O.A.T. (And So Do I)

The Athletic recently surveyed 108 active NBA players and asked a wide range of questions. But none garnered a better response than this one: “Who’s the greatest player of all time?”

Despite last appearing in an NBA game 20 years ago, the answer has remained the same. A total of 58.3 percent of voters picked Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan, while 33 percent chose LeBron James. the other players to receive votes were Kobe Bryant (6.8 percent), Bill Russell (1 percent), and Tracy McGrady (1 percent … I know, I’m as confused as you are about that one).

Now, The Athletic does state that Jordan’s lead has dropped since the last time they ran a similar survey. Jordan earned 73 percent of votes back in 2019 compared to James’ 11.9 percent. James won a fourth ring and became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer since the last time players were polled. Still, the fact he’s accomplished those things and many of his peers still comfortably view Jordan as the GOAT underscores just how hard it’ll be for him to ever truly enter the conversation.

Look, I know I’m biased when it comes to this debate. But I also think that surveys like these show that I’m on the right side of the field. James has accomplished some tremendous things. And, as hard as it is sometimes, I try to step outside myself and respect what he’s done. Still, I simply do not think it reaches the peak of what Jordan has done. Whether it be his flawless Finals record or his logo dawning NBA jerseys, he is the epitome of a legend.

For more on that survey and how the Chicago Bulls’ fared, check out our post from earlier this week: