The release of the first two episodes of “The Last Dance,” a 10-part documentary on Michael Jordan and his final season with the Chicago Bulls, has re-ignited the debate about who is the best player ever with a significant dousing of lighter fluid. However, there are some out there are who are doing their best to keep a level head about all of it. One of them: Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone.
Now, while Malone saw Jordan from afar, his father Brendan was an assistant coach in the league, including a couple of seasons on the Detroit Pistons who pestered Jordan. He also coached LeBron James as an assistant for five seasons in Cleveland and while there are no Jordan equivalents, Malone believes that LeBron has a legitimate case to the GOAT conversation, according to USA TODAY’s Mark Medina.
“It’s always an ongoing argument about who is the GOAT. Michael obviously is up there and is the greatest of all time,” Malone said Tuesday in a Zoom call with reporters. “There are not many Michael Jordans out there. I coached LeBron James for five years and have a great relationship with him. LeBron did not have the same mindset or killer mentality that Michael Jordan is supposed to have had. But LeBron James is arguably the greatest of all time as well.”
Jordan’s legend is only growing thanks to this documentary and the fact that he helped turn the NBA into the multi-billion dollar entity it is today will forever be in his favor. However, LeBron’s own accomplishments stand on their own.
