GREATEST OF ALL TIME
GOAT (abbrv.) \ ˈgōt \ : the greatest of all time - the most accomplished and successful
individual in the history of a particular category of performance or activity
GOAT (abbrv.) \ ˈgōt \ : the greatest of all time - the most accomplished and successful
individual in the history of a particular category of performance or activity
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials, MJ, is an American former professional basketball player who is the principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 15 seasons in the NBA for the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." He was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.
Jordan played three seasons for coach Dean Smith at the University of North Carolina. As a freshman, he was a member of the Tar Heels' national championship team in 1982. Jordan joined the Bulls in 1984 as the third overall draft pick. He quickly emerged as a league star and entertained crowds with his prolific scoring. His leaping ability, demonstrated by performing slam dunks from the free throw line in Slam Dunk Contests, earned him the nicknames Air Jordan and His Airness. He also gained a reputation for being one of the best defensive players in basketball. In 1991, he won his first NBA championship with the Bulls, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a "three-peat". Although Jordan abruptly retired from basketball before the beginning of the 1993–94 NBA season, and started a new career in Minor League Baseball, he returned to the Bulls in March 1995 and led them to three additional championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998, as well as a then-record 72 regular-season wins in the 1995–96 NBA season. Jordan retired for a second time in January 1999, but returned for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Wizards.
Jordan's individual accolades and accomplishments include six NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards, ten scoring titles (both all-time records), five MVP Awards, ten All-NBA First Team designations, nine All-Defensive First Team honors, fourteen NBA All-Star Game selections, three All-Star Game MVP Awards, three steals titles, and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. He holds the NBA records for highest career regular season scoring average (30.12 points per game) and highest career playoff scoring average (33.45 points per game). In 1999, he was named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN, and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press' list of athletes of the century. Jordan is a two-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, having been enshrined in 2009 for his individual career, and again in 2010 as part of the group induction of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team ("The Dream Team"). He became a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2015.
Jordan is also known for his product endorsements. He fueled the success of Nike's Air Jordan sneakers, which were introduced in 1984 and remain popular today. Jordan also starred as himself in the 1996 film Space Jam. In 2006, he became part-owner and head of basketball operations for the Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets), and bought a controlling interest in 2010. In 2014, Jordan became the first billionaire player in NBA history. He is the third-richest African-American, behind Robert F. Smith and Oprah Winfrey.
Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978), often referred to mononymously as Kobe, is an American former professional basketball player. He played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He entered the NBA directly from high school and won five NBA championships. Bryant is an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, and 12-time member of the All-Defensive team. He led the NBA in scoring during two seasons and ranks third on the league's all-time regular season scoring and fourth on the all-time postseason scoring list. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Bryant is the first guard in NBA history to play at least 20 seasons.
Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania, where he was recognized as the top high school basketball player in the country. Upon graduation, he declared for the NBA draft and was selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft. The Hornets then traded him to the Lakers. Despite a feud between the two players, Bryant and fellow superstar Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. After the Lakers lost the 2004 NBA Finals, O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat and Bryant became the cornerstone of the Lakers. After losing in the 2008 NBA Finals, he led the Lakers to two consecutive championships in 2009 and 2010, earning the Finals MVP Award on both occasions. He continued to be among the top players in the league through 2013 until he suffered a torn Achilles tendon at age 34. Although he recovered, his play was limited the following two years by season-ending injuries to his knee and shoulder, respectively. Citing his physical decline, he announced that he would retire after the 2015–16 season.
Brant led the NBA in scoring during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. In 2006, he scored a career-high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second most points scored in a single game in league history behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962. Bryant was awarded the regular season's Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in 2008, and earned two finals MVP awards in his 2009 and 2010 title runs. At 34 years and 104 days of age, Bryant became the youngest player in league history to reach 30,000 career points. He became the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history on February 1, 2010, when he surpassed Jerry West. During his third year in the league, Bryant was chosen to start the All-Star Game, and he would continue to be selected to start that game for a record 18 consecutive appearances until his retirement. His four All-Star MVP Awards are tied for the most in NBA history. At the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics, he won gold medals as a member of the U.S. national team.
Before starting the 1996–97 NBA season, Bryant signed a six-year contract with Adidas that was worth approximately $48 million. His first signature shoe was the Equipment KB 8. Bryant's other earlier endorsements included deals with The Coca-Cola Company to endorse their Sprite soft drink, appearing in advertisements for McDonald's, promoting Spalding's new NBA Infusion Ball, Upper Deck, Italian chocolate company Ferrero SpA's brand Nutella, Russell Corporation, and appearing on his own series of video games by Nintendo. Bryant is the official ambassador for After-School All-Stars (ASAS), an American non-profit organization that provides comprehensive after-school programs to children in thirteen US cities. In 2018, Bryant won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for his film Dear Basketball.
LeBron Raymone James Sr. (born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is often considered the best basketball player in the world and regarded by some as the greatest player of all time. His accomplishments include three NBA championships, four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, three NBA Finals MVP Awards, and two Olympic gold medals. James has appeared in fifteen NBA All-Star Games and been named NBA All-Star MVP three times. He won the 2008 NBA scoring title, is the all-time NBA playoffs scoring leader, and is fourth in all-time career points scored. He has been voted onto the All-NBA First Team twelve times and the All-Defensive First Team five times.
James played basketball for St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, where he was heavily touted by the national media as a future NBA superstar. A prep-to-pro, he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003 as the first overall draft pick. Named the 2003–04 NBA Rookie of the Year, he soon established himself as one of the league's premier players; he won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2009 and 2010. After failing to win a championship with Cleveland, James left in 2010 to sign as a free agent with the Miami Heat. This move was announced in an ESPN special titled The Decision, and is one of the most controversial free agent decisions in American sports history. James won his first two NBA championships while playing for the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013. He was named league MVP and NBA Finals MVP in both championship years. After his fourth season with the Heat in 2014, James opted out of his contract to re-sign with the Cavaliers. In 2016, he led the Cavaliers to victory over the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, delivering the team's first championship and ending Cleveland's 52-year professional sports title drought. James's teams appeared in the NBA Finals in eight consecutive seasons (from 2011 to 2018). In 2018, James opted out of his contract with the Cavaliers to sign with the Lakers.
James has been a staple in the NBA finals since 2011, reaching the finals an incredible 8 times in a row from 2011 to 2018, winning three championships and three finals MVPs during this span. James missed his first playoffs since 2005 this year, ending his streak. As a playoff performer, James has shown both incredible durability and consistency over the years. He is fourth all-time in career playoff games played, and is the carrer leader in playoff points with 6,911. The next closest player, Michael Jordan, has 5,987. He is also currently fourth all-time in career total points, despite being only 34 years old. James holds the records for the most 20 point and 30 point playoff games, which he has done 210 and 110 times respectively. Considered as someone who does it all on the court, often playing point-forward, James has the second most playoff triple doubles all-time with 23. James is also a four time MVP and one time scoring champion.
Off the court, James has accumulated additional wealth and fame from numerous endorsement contracts. His public life has been the subject of much scrutiny, and he has been ranked as one of America's most influential and popular athletes. He has been featured in books, documentaries, and television commercials. He has also hosted the ESPY Awards and Saturday Night Live, and appeared in the 2015 film Trainwreck. James is an active supporter of non-profit organizations, including After-School All-Stars, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and Children's Defense Fund. He also has his own charity foundation, the LeBron James Family Foundation, which is based in Akron. In 2017, he received the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award from the NBA for his "outstanding service and dedication to the community." In November of that same year, the Akron School Board approved the "I Promise School", a public elementary school created in a partnership with the LeBron James Family Foundation to help struggling elementary school students stay in school. James later reflected that it was his most important professional accomplishment of his life. The school officially opened on July 30, 2018.
| Michael Jordan | Kobe Bryant | Lebron James | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NBA Champ | 6 | 5 | 3 |
| Finals MVPTitle given to the MVP during the finals series, Jordan has the most ever. | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| MVP | 5 | 1 | 4 |
| All-NBAThe All-NBA Team is an annual honor bestowed on the best players in the league, composed of three five-man lineups. | 11 | 15 | 15 |
| All-DefensiveThe All-Defensive Team is an annual honor bestowed on the best defensive players in the league, composed of three five-man lineups. | 9 | 12 | 6 |
| All-StarYearly, 12 players are chosen from each conference to play in the All-Star game. Starters are voted in by a combo of fans, media, and players | 14 | 18 | 15 |
| Scoring ChampTitle given to regular season leaders in points per game. Jordan has the most in NBA history. | 10 | 2 | 1 |
| DPOYDefensive Player of the Year: Jordan is one of 4 players to earn both an MVP and DPOY in their career | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Rookie of the Year? | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Michael Jordan | Kobe Bryant | Lebron James | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 30.1 | 25.0 | 27.2 |
| Rebounds | 6.2 | 5.2 | 7.4 |
| Assists | 5.3 | 4.7 | 7.2 |
| Steals | 2.3 | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Blocks | .8 | .5 | .8 |
| Field Goal % | .497 | .447 | .504 |
| 3 Point % | .327 | .329 | .343 |
| 2 Point % | .510 | .479 | .548 |
| Free Throw % | .835 | .837 | .736 |
| Michael Jordan | Kobe Bryant | Lebron James | |
|---|---|---|---|
| VORPValue Over Replacement: Estimate of the points per 100 TEAM poss. a player contributed above a replacement-level (-2.0) player, translated to an average team and prorated to an 82-game season. | 104.4 | 72.1 | 129.8 |
| BPMBox Plus/Minus: A box score estimate of the points per 100 poss. a player contributed above a league-average player. | 8.1 | 3.9 | 9.1 |
| Win SharesAn estimate of the number of wins contributed by a player. | 214.0 | 172.7 | 226.6 |
| OWSOffensive Win Shares: An estimate of the number of wins contributed by a player due to offense. | 149.9 | 122.1 | 159.6 |
| DWSDefensive Win Shares: An estimate of the number of wins contributed by a player due to defense. | 64.1 | 50.7 | 67.0 |
| PERPlayer Efficiency Rating: A measure of per-minute production standardized such that the league average is 15. | 27.9 | 22.9 | 27.6 |
| ORtgOffensive Rating: Estimate of points scored per 100 possesions | 118 | 110 | 116 |
| DRtgDefensive Rating: Estimate of points allowed per 100 possesions | 103 | 105 | 103 |
| TS%True Shooting %: A measure of shooting efficiency that takes into account 2-point field goals, 3-point field goals, and free throws. | .569 | .550 | .586 |