The Greatest of All Time (GOAT) conversation in basketball has entertained the lives of many fans and especially from every generation. The baby boomers were the first to experience the NBA and idolized players such as Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. While generation x watched Larry Bird and Magic Johnson wreck havoc in their respective conferences. Later on, those days disappeared as millennials got to see Michael Jordan change the era of the NBA, winning three consecutive championships twice in seven years. Almost instantly after MJ’s era, Kobe and LeBron arrived, who have left zoomers in amazement. The point is, with the documentary “The Last Dance” that follows the career of Michael Jordan through the NBA being aired on ESPN. Many fans, mostly zoomers, that weren’t alive to see Jordan play are finally getting the chance. Sparking an even intenser debate over what legends of the past and present are undoubtedly the best to ever play. The documentary has displayed Jordan as the fiercest competitor to ever grace the sport of basketball and it’s not far from the truth. However, for my generation, Kobe Bryant was the embodiment of a true competitor. He stopped at nothing to come out on top and didn’t care what his peers thought about him. After watching all the released episodes of “The Last Dance” it’s safe to say MJ reminds the people born after his playing days of Kobe. Both played the same position of shooting guard, both stand at six foot six inches and both had an extremely similar play style. To conclude, it’s impossible for me to say who is the “GOAT” as all players can do is be the best of their single era due to rules and the way the game is played changing all the time. Thus, it’s unfair to compare players from different decades and “The Last Dance” has really opened my eyes to that.
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