To be the GOAT, you have to beat this:
Rings: 11 rings (in 13 seasons)
Coaching: 2 rings as Player/Coach (in 3 seasons)
Win %: Win more than 71.7% of your games
Finals: 12 Finals appearances (missed the Finals once in 13 seasons)
College: 2 NCAA titles (including a 55-game win streak)
Olympics: Win an Olympic gold medal (Russell was team captain and they won games by an avg of 53 points. The Dream Team won games by an avg of 44 points.)
Rules: Have a rule changed to disadvantage your dominance (NCAA doubled the width of the lane to slow him down)
Clutch: 10-0 in game 7s
The rest of the J's - KAJ, LBJ, and MJ - are all playing for second place in the GOAT race. They never came anywhere close to what Russell accomplished.
Rings: MJ - 6 rings in 15 seasons, KAJ - 6 rings in 20 seasons, LBJ - 4 rings in 21 seasons
Coaching: None of the J's ever head coached. Forget about doing it while playing.
Win %: KAJ won 68.8% of his games, MJ - 65.9%, LBJ - 64.7%
Finals: KAJ - 10 Finals in 20 seasons, LBJ 10 Finals in 21 seasons, MJ 6 FInals in 15 years
College: KAJ - 3 titles with an 88-2 record, MJ - 1 title with an 88-13 record, LBJ - DNP
Olympics: LBJ - 2 golds, 1 bronze (as a pro), MJ - 2 golds (1 amateur, 1 pro), KAJ - DNP
Rules: KAJ - no dunking rule in NCAA due to him (later rescinded)
Clutch: LBJ 6-2 in Game 7s, KAJ - 4-2 in Game 7s, MJ 2-1 in Game 7s
The media doesn't gain much from promoting the true GOAT. But they have made a bundle on promoting MJ and LBJ who are simply good for business despite not being in the same league as Russell as a winner.
Ball don't lie. Stats don't lie. Rings don't lie. You can't dispute these. Russell is the undisputed GOAT.
Wake me up when one of these or another pretender - the new J, who is getting GOAT talk, Jokic is watching his Nuggets get deep fried against Minny - gets close to Mr. 11 rings.
![Image](https://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2817947/billbored.gif)