Brian Windhorst isn’t buying the idea that another championship run would suddenly flip the Michael Jordan-LeBron James GOAT debate.
On ESPN’s First Take, the NBA insider took aim at the argument that James winning with a fourth different team would change how people rank him all-time. Windhorst said the people who already have Jordan ahead of LeBron aren’t going to move off that stance because of one more title.
“Do you think one person, who thinks Jordan is ahead of LeBron, would say, ‘Oh, he’s won with four different teams, alright he’s number one’?” said Windhorst in his recent appearance on ESPN’s First Take.
He called the whole line of thinking meaningless, pointing out that the league has seen plenty of championship turnover in recent years and that James’ résumé already includes eight straight Finals trips.
“It’s a fake argument; nobody would ever give him credit for that. We have had eight different champions in the last eight years, and LeBron has been to eight straight finals.”
Windhorst kept pushing the same point, saying no one has been swayed by that kind of run before and no one would be swayed now.
“Has anybody said, ‘Oh boy, he’s been to eight straight finals; he’s pretty good’? No.
No one has said that. Because they’ve already decided.
No one’s gonna be swayed. They just want to hear your argument so they can state their argument.
That’s why the whole thing is ridiculous,” Windhorst added.
He doubled down with an even sharper example.
“If they go 82-0 and win the championship, nobody that already believes Jordan is better is going to put LeBron ahead of him. It’s a fake argument; it’s a fake thing and a fake conversation, next topic.”
Windhorst also took on Charles Barkley’s claim that if James wins two more championships with the 76ers, he would pass Jordan as the undisputed GOAT. Windhorst dismissed the entire premise as over the top.
“What are we doing here? We’re talking about him winning multiple more titles,” Windhorst said. “What kind of proposterous situation… his legacy is established, it’s set, it’s done.”
He then rattled off the logic to its extreme.
“What about three? Why not four, why not five?
Why not six? Why not 12?
I love Charles; he’s such a value add to the sport. Talking about him adding two titles, it’s I don’t …I hate this about the NBA.
I hate this discourse [about titles] so much,” he said.
The reaction online mostly backed Windhorst’s view. Fans said the Jordan camp isn’t changing its mind, and the LeBron camp isn’t either. Others tried to shrink the whole debate into something less important.
“This is 100% facts. The people who have Jordan as the goat ain’t changing their minds, and the same goes for those who have LeBron as the goat. This is why the debate is dumb and played out.”
“Ridiculously true statement.”
“If Jordan decided to go to the Lakers or the Spurs (equivalent to what LeBron is doing) instead of the Wizards, would y’all give Jordan more credit for getting more rings?”
“The only reason Jordan didn’t go to 8 straight finals was cause he decided to retire and play baseball.”
“Conveniently leaving out that the CBA changes have dramatically increased parity, which came after LeBron’s eight straight finals, but whatever.”
Most fans sided with Windhorst’s take, while others brushed off the GOAT discussion entirely. The source also notes agreement with Windhorst’s broader point that if Jordan had chased rings by joining another team, he would not have received the same respect for loyalty to one team.
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