Fat Joe is the latest to weigh in on the incessant Michael Jordan vs. Lebron James G.O.A.T debate. The 52-year-old still believes that MJ holds the throne, despite King James recently becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
“MJ’s the GOAT,” the Bronx rapper told Complex on Friday (Feb. 17) when walking the red carpet for the NBA’s Celebrity Game during All-Star Weekend. “We love LeBron. LeBron is the greatest, at this time. Actually, we worship LeBron. We love him to death, but MJ’s the GOAT.”
The six-time champion, who notably never lost in the NBA Finals or played in a game seven, understandably holds a special place in the hearts of those who were able to see him play live. On the flip side, younger fans like Cordae who have only seen LeBron play feel that the title is his.
“I wasn’t alive when MJ was playing,” the “Two Tens” rapper told Complex. “So I can only speak on what I’ve seen and LeBron has been doing the damn thing.” Lebron James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s almost 40-year-old scoring record on Feb. 7 in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
This bolstered an already impressive resume, which includes four regular season MVP Awards, four NBA Finals victories, and four NBA Finals MVP awards. Michael Jordan won five regular season MVP awards, six NBA championships, and six NBA Finals MVP awards. The debate between the two often centers around MJ being undefeated in the NBA Finals at 6-0 in comparison to LBJ having a losing record in the finals at 4-6, but leading three different teams to championship victories.
With no set criteria for G.O.A.T determination, the conversation persists with no real closure.