[The Epoch Times, March 2, 2022](The Epoch Times reporter Wang Yezhi comprehensive report) As a sport that has swept the world – basketball, when people mention it, the first thing that comes to mind is probably Michael Jordan ( Michael Jordan). “Flying Man” Jordan left people with countless golden pictures and many unbreakable NBA records. Many people regard him as the “God of Basketball”, but he has never admitted that he is the best in NBA history – GOAT (Greatest Of All Time).
After the Jordan era, there have been many very good players. Former Lakers star Kobe Bryant is recognized as the best basketball player of the 21st century, but he can only be called the best “after Jordan”.
The number one player in the league today is LeBron James. He previously publicly stated in a documentary that he has become the greatest player in NBA history after leading the Cavaliers to reverse the Warriors to win the championship in 2016. But no matter how good James is and how hard he works, his statement has not been recognized by people.
Jordan said he did not like the “title” of “the greatest of all time”. “I don’t like the title because it’s disrespectful to Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and all the seniors I never had the chance to play against,” Jordan said. “If you think that I’m better than them, that’s just your opinion. I take other people’s opinions, but if you ask me, I’d never say I’m the greatest player in NBA history.”
In a recent interview, Jordan talked about the debate about the best player of all time and why he doesn’t like the label GOAT. He said: “A lot of seniors have influenced my game. If I hadn’t learned from them, I wouldn’t have been able to improve. I’m not here to run for the best player in the world or in history because everyone plays a different role at a different time. different roles.”
Indeed, many great players in the NBA have very different styles of play. Comparing them would be extremely unfair to their style of play, their greatness is determined not only by what they have accomplished, but also by their style of play and the era they live in.
Whether or not Jordan accepts the GOAT title, there is no denying that in the hearts of many fans, he is the best player the NBA has ever seen. Jordan almost dominated the NBA in the 1990s. He led the Bulls to win the “three consecutive championships” in the finals twice, and won 5 MVPs, 10 “scoring champions” and many other honors. Jordan’s status in the basketball world is like Ali to boxing and Pele to football. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is synonymous with the sport of basketball.
In any case, in his 15-season career, Jordan has achieved many unprecedented achievements and created many records that are difficult for future generations to break.
Won 10 “Scoring Champions”
For a player, winning the title of “scoring champion” in one season is enough to prove his excellence. To be the “scoring champion” for several consecutive years requires his competitive state to be at the peak all the time. In the NBA history list, Jordan has won the “scoring champion” ten times. Among them, the last time he won the “scoring champion” was when he was “old” at the age of 35. Legendary center Wilt Chamberlain, who has won seven “scoring titles”, ranks second. In the active league, Kevin Durant (Kevin Durant) has won the “scoring champion” four times.
Career high regular-season average
Jordan’s NBA career regular-season scoring average was 30.1 points. It should be emphasized that this data does not refer to the average points per game in the regular season for a season. The highest scoring average per game in the regular season in a single season was 50.4 points created by Chamberlain, but Jordan was the only one who averaged 30.1 points per game in the regular season throughout his career.
Better playoff performance
For NBA teams, the defensive intensity of the regular season and playoff games is not at the same level, and it is more difficult for players to score in the playoffs. Jordan scored 50+ points eight times in the playoffs, and his career scoring average in the playoffs reached 33.4 points per game, higher than the regular season. These two records make it difficult for other players to match.
Advance to the finals to maintain a win
In his career, Jordan led the Bulls to the NBA Finals six times, won six championships, completed two “three consecutive championships”, the winning rate reached 100%, and became the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the finals six times.
In addition, during his peak, Jordan won the regular season MVP, the All-Star Game MVP, the Finals MVP, the scoring champion, the steals king, the best first team, the best defensive first team and the All-Star vote king in one season. , Slam Dunk Contest champion. So far, no second person has been able to do it.
Responsible editor: Zheng Huang#
