sb_mav :
It’s really only young guys from about age 18 to 29 who attempt to argue that LeBron is the GOAT. The overwhelming majority of former and current players and coaches still have MJ at the top. Even our AI overlords will eventually conclude it’s not LeBron when you press them hard enough. So why do these 20-somethings think this way?
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Simply put, they fell hook, line, and sinker for the NBA marketing campaign. The league desperately needed a new face after MJ retired. 1st they had success with Kobe, a player who essentially molded his game after MJ, was a winner, and played for the historic Lakers, which helped carry the league into the post-Jordan era.
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But in 2003, after Kobe’s SA allegations, the NBA quickly shifted its attention to the young kid from Akron. And they went ALL IN. LeBron was marketed from the beginning as the heir to the throne. The problem was that, unlike Kobe and MJ, LeBron didn't become a champion until his 9th season. And once he finally won, he never established the kind of sustained dynasty that MJ and Kobe did.
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So now you had an entire generation of kids being told, from the time they were old enough to watch basketball, “This guy is the best player.” But the dude just kept LOSING! To reconcile this dichotomy, these children had to start making excuses. Claiming that winning championships wasn’t the goal for the first time in sports history. Losing wasn't necessarily losing. Teammates, coaches, GMs, or his “elite” competition were always the explanation. Every playoff exit required a new justification.
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And that's basically how we got here. A generation of kids were told their entire lives, “This dude is amazing,” and then spent the rest of their lives doing mental gymnastics trying to explain why his resume doesn't look like Michael Jordan's.
2026-09-20 17:23:04