Spencer Dinwiddie has thrown his support behind the LeBron James camp when it comes to the GOAT of basketball, calling his Lakers teammate a bigger global icon than Michael Jordan.
“LeBron because I judge it on who I’d draft No. 1 in an all-time draft. He’s had 20-plus years of basically going to the Conference Finals. I’d say globally, LeBron is a bigger icon, like business included."
Dinwiddie added that Jordan is considered a bigger hero than LeBron.
"I think Jordan is a bigger hero, in a sense, just because he was so different from what we had seen. We’d already seen dominant guards and wings once LeBron came in.”
Unfortunately, Dinwiddie is way off-base with his take. Jordan is widely recognized as the man to have popularized the NBA internationally, still being held as the standard of excellence in the sport across the world. Everyone talks about Jordan's mythical aura and it affects no one more than international fans who may not be tapped into what's happening in the NBA.
Business-wise, Jordan is the richest pro basketball player in NBA history, though LeBron is second and became a billionaire before Jordan. But with the Jordan Brand making billions every year and adding considerable chunks of money to Michael's personal fortune, it's hard to say LeBron outperformed him in the business space without a brand as enduring as Jordan.
There are legitimate arguments to support LeBron's case for GOAT, whether you agree with them or not. These arguments are generally incorrect, as Jordan's global impact on the game as an icon is unquestioned and his business exploits are still the most successful by an NBA player in history.
The GOAT Argument Is Evolving
Every year, LeBron James makes his argument in the GOAT conversation stronger. He's doing things we have never seen someone his age or with the same miles on his body achieve. James just wrapped up his Year 21 season and will likely still be an All-NBA selection, such was his impact.
Michael Jordan's resume is set in stone and can never be questioned. Going 6-0 in the Finals while winning every team and individual trophy possible is an incredible feat that nobody will be able to replicate anytime soon. The 10 scoring titles and absolute dominance over the game prove to the world that what Jordan achieved in basketball is among the greatest sporting careers of all time.
Over the last month, a poll by The Athletic and a poll by Hoopshype have shown that the argument is still in Jordan's favor but there's been a slow shift in opinions across basketball. James is gaining on Jordan every season and we are coming close to a time when LeBron starts being regarded as the greatest ever.
People around the league are watching him do things none of them even imagined by extending his career to this extent. He'll take the mantle of being the NBA's all-time minutes leader (playoffs + regular season) next season from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, after already taking the all-time scoring record from the legend as well.
Jordan's dominance is unquestioned, but James has been a more credible challenger to the conversation than anyone else in history.
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