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The never-ending debate about the greatest players in NBA history has had some controversial takes throughout the course of history.
Notably, even the best players of all time have had some debatable lists, mostly due to generational bias.
That seems to be the case with Julius ‘Dr. J’ Erving, who’s facing plenty of backlash for his list of the best players of all time.
The legendary forward — who’s one of the most influential hoopers ever — chose Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Karem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Karl Malone, and Tiny Archibald as the best ever.
.@stephenasmith reacts to Dr. J’s top 10 NBA players of all-time
“You cannot have an all-time top 10 list and LeBron James is out.” pic.twitter.com/U7CtoZT0uU
— First Take (@FirstTake) July 31, 2023
That’s why Stephen A. Smith simply claimed that Dr. J was wrong, as every single person who knows something about basketball knows that LeBron James is a top-10 player of all time at the very least.
Like him or not, it’s borderline impossible to make a case about James not being a top-10 player in NBA history.
We’re talking about the league’s all-time leading scorer, and a guy who ranks in the top-5 in almost every major category.
James has played for longer than most of the players named by Erving, and he’s literally played all five positions on the court.
To each his own, and everybody’s entitled to their opinion, and it’s not a secret that James has plenty of detractors.
But if there were to be an objective criteria for the GOAT debate, there’s simply no way LeBron shouldn’t make the cut as a top-10 hooper of all time.
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