RealGM

Why? If you want to talk about the best player each decade, you can, but why call it GOAT? Greatest of all time? It's kind of silly imo.

Sure, the game has changed, and sure, you can't really compare stats across eras, but the GOAT should be GOAT due to his dominance over competition in his own era. Lebron's and MJ's stats aren't really even compared that much in GOAT discussions. We both know their stats are great. It's their dominance and playoff outcomes that are looked at more.

Here is the problem, GOAT means greatest of all time. Even if you have greatest of era or decades, there will always be the question of who is the greatest amongst them. So no GOAT by definition could not be generational.

Splitting it by decade is silly.

There have been five players who have stood above all others, for long periods, in their era. Others have been the best for a year or two, or top five, but have no legitimate argument.

Mikan, Russell, Kareem, Jordan and LeBron.

If you subscribe to the idea that the league has changed too much direct comparisons - and it probably has - then these are the guys. The generational GOATs.

GrindCityHustle wrote:

OdomFan wrote:Idk cause there's no clear cut Best of them all for some of those decades.

For the 10s Lebron gets majority of the votes but some may say Curry (I don't agree), Durant (eh)

00s Some say Kobe, some say Shaq, and Duncan

The 90s It's MJ at the top for sure.

For the 80s both Magic and Bird have a legit case.

For the 70s Kareem is pretty much unanimous but Dr J would have a case if he wasn't in the ABA for some of that time.

For 60s There's Russell and Wilt. Wilt for his individual gifts and accomplishment, and Russell for anchoring a great defense and leading Boston to the 11 championships.

This is why MJ is the Greatest of All Time to me. He had no peer on the Mountain top of that decade with him, but he alongside Pippen consistently denied all those Hall of Fame Worthy guys from grabbing a single championship throughout that time.

Good take

I think the MJ vs LeBron debate is always so intense because the 2nd best players of their era were miles behind compared to the 70s 80s and even 00s.

There was no decade dominated by one guy as much as 1970s by Kareem.

You run into just as many issue with era as anything else. MJ was the best player of the 90's...ok but he was already the best player by the end of the 80's and didn't finish out the decade. Duncan was likely the next era best player but if you treat it as strictly the 00's then you take away 2 top 5 seasons and back load it with some quality top 15 level stuff instead, it gets wish washy and things only get worse when we deal with Lebron was a legit MVP level guy in the 00's much like Jordan. Shaq was a superstar from 92 on so does he get ignored by history because Timmy likely edges him out in the post MJ era because we throw out those early years?

I think you take one problem and add another, might as well turn these discussions into all holds bar era vs era vs player vs player. Just more fun to speculate on Bill Russell vs Tim Duncan than to argue over the years and how we even pick which players to compare before we get stuck with another dumb debate over just recent players who we talk about too much already.

Case and point OP set this thread up to turn into a debate over kobe, though i'll assume it wasn't intended. Meanwhile not just giving the 70's to kareem might have been the most explosive comment.

70sFan wrote:

GrindCityHustle wrote:

OdomFan wrote:Idk cause there's no clear cut Best of them all for some of those decades.

For the 10s Lebron gets majority of the votes but some may say Curry (I don't agree), Durant (eh)

00s Some say Kobe, some say Shaq, and Duncan

The 90s It's MJ at the top for sure.

For the 80s both Magic and Bird have a legit case.

For the 70s Kareem is pretty much unanimous but Dr J would have a case if he wasn't in the ABA for some of that time.

For 60s There's Russell and Wilt. Wilt for his individual gifts and accomplishment, and Russell for anchoring a great defense and leading Boston to the 11 championships.

This is why MJ is the Greatest of All Time to me. He had no peer on the Mountain top of that decade with him, but he alongside Pippen consistently denied all those Hall of Fame Worthy guys from grabbing a single championship throughout that time.

Good take

I think the MJ vs LeBron debate is always so intense because the 2nd best players of their era were miles behind compared to the 70s 80s and even 00s.

There was no decade dominated by one guy as much as 1970s by Kareem.

Dr J was too tho, but it was in the ABA.

BloodNinja wrote:sure why not, it can be like a 2nd place trophy to the one true GOAT -> MJ

Remind me again, what makes MJ as true a goat as the one who won twice as much as him?

Asking for a friend.

picko wrote:Splitting it by decade is silly.

There have been five players who have stood above all others, for long periods, in their era. Others have been the best for a year or two, or top five, but have no legitimate argument.

Mikan, Russell, Kareem, Jordan and LeBron.

If you subscribe to the idea that the league has changed too much direct comparisons - and it probably has - then these are the guys. The generational GOATs.

What about Naismith?

How can GOAT be a generational thing when it literally stands for the ‘greatest of all-time?’

You need a new acronym if you want to change its meaning.

Basketball fans get too involved in arguing instead of enjoying the game and appreciating the great players while they are still around. There's also the recency bias and the inherent need for a lot of people to be able to say they have witnessed the GOAT. It has been this way for decades and I doubt it changes any time soon.

OdomFan wrote:

70sFan wrote:

GrindCityHustle wrote:

Good take

I think the MJ vs LeBron debate is always so intense because the 2nd best players of their era were miles behind compared to the 70s 80s and even 00s.

There was no decade dominated by one guy as much as 1970s by Kareem.

Dr J was too tho, but it was in the ABA.

No, I love Julius but he wasn't on Kareem level outside of a season or two at most.

Here's an Idea for the Thread title. The GOOD: Greatest Of Our Decade.
Anybody can be good, but only one can become "The GOOD". lol.

Johnny Bball wrote:For sure. Comparing players across eras has always been completely worthless.

Basketball has always been completely worthless. Doesn't make it any less fun, tho

Bestoy?

GrindCityHustle wrote:Since the game changes so much and is so different than what it even was in the 80s we should bestoy GOAT as a generational thing or even for a 10 year period?

50-George Mikan
60s Wilt and Bill
70s Dr J and Kareem
80s Magic Johnson and Larry Bird
90s Michael Jordan
00s Kobe Bryant
10s LeBron
20s-?


Would this be the best format going forward or should there always be one GOAT? I feel some eras even have a dual goat.

Basically you just reiterated the same thread I started a while ago. I suppose, great minds think a like. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1916511&p=80190633#p80190633

Anyhow I agree

Pennebaker wrote:

GrindCityHustle wrote:Since the game changes so much and is so different than what it even was in the 80s we should bestoy GOAT as a generational thing or even for a 10 year period?

50-George Mikan
60s Wilt and Bill
70s Dr J and Kareem
80s Magic Johnson and Larry Bird
90s Michael Jordan
00s Kobe Bryant
10s LeBron
20s-?


Would this be the best format going forward or should there always be one GOAT? I feel some eras even have a dual goat.

Kobe was never considered the GOAT of any generation. Even at Kobe's best, LeBron was still better than him, and also in Kobe's era an argument can be made for Tim Duncan.

But LeBron has legitimately been the best player in the NBA every year since 2006.

He's not the best player in the NBA in the past 3 seasons. I don't necessarily disagree with what you write about kobe or duncan though. It's debatable.

birdlives_ma wrote:I’ve always subscribed to the idea that it’s like a “belt.” You hold it, til someone comes and knocks you off.

never thought id see someone use their brain in this discussion..well said

Why do Lebron fans work so hard to find a way to call Lebron GOAT? Do you guys get personal meaning out of it? Do you like coming off as ignorant with no knowledge of the sports history? I really don't get it.

It should be, I've advocated this and said it many times even on these boards (not GOAT though, just "best of his generation). It's so hard to take players out of time and context, with different training, different coaching, different everything.

(also, Duncan is the 00's best, not Kobe).

BayWarrior wrote:Here is the problem, GOAT means greatest of all time. Even if you have greatest of era or decades, there will always be the question of who is the greatest amongst them. So no GOAT by definition could not be generational.

It would be the GOTE.

Greatest of the era