Boston Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell — who faced off against NBA legends Michael Jordan and LeBron James during an impressive playing career — recently offered his take on the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) debate.
Cassell believes Jordan is the greatest player ever but also seems to have a lot of respect for James.
“In my opinion, it’s between LeBron and M.J., and I played against both,” he said around the 45:25 mark. “Man, it ain’t hard for me at all: Michael Jordan in my aspect, but that’s no knock on LeBron. I don’t think we’ll ever see a Michael Jordan-caliber ballplayer ever, but I don’t think we’re gonna see another LeBron James, either.”
He continued.
“Hardest thing in our league to do is score, and the thing I tell our young guys…(is) how he scored,” he said. “He scored so easy at times. When you come down (on) offense, you run your plays, you got five, six passes. He come down, post up at the elbow, jab you, shoot right over top of you with 17 seconds on the shot clock. That’s what separated him, in my opinion, more than anybody in our league.
“He didn’t exercise a lot of dribbles. … He was good, man. He was just — everybody said that he was hills…beyond everybody else, but to me, he was the most fundamental basketball player I’ve seen.”
Cassell made his NBA debut in the 1993-94 season and played through the 2007-08 season, so he did indeed get a chance to see both Jordan and James in action during his time in the league. That makes his perspective especially interesting, as many people who speak on the G.O.A.T. debate can’t say they played against both of the legends in question.
Cassell had a very nice career, especially for someone who wasn’t drafted until the No. 24 overall pick in 1993. He earned one All-Star nod, one All-NBA selection and three championship rings during his time in the NBA.
Jordan and James, meanwhile, own two of the most impressive resumes in basketball history.
James’ once-in-a-lifetime longevity has helped him eclipse Jordan in many categories, like total points, All-Star selections, All-NBA bids and more. But Jordan still has James beat in several key areas, including NBA championships, league MVP awards, Finals MVP awards and scoring titles.
The G.O.A.T. debate will never truly be settled, but it’s nice to hear the perspective of someone like Cassell, especially since he seems to approach the topic with nuance as opposed to taking a black-and-white viewpoint.
Jordan’s playing career has been over for many years, but James is still adding to his resume even as he approaches 40 years of age. This season, he will make history by playing alongside his son on the Los Angeles Lakers, another testament to his longevity.
When James’ career eventually does come to an end, the debates comparing him to Jordan will only continue.
