Written by Tim Hofstaetter
To start off I want to say this should be a nuanced conversation and at the end of the day this is just my opinion. If you consider someone else to be the GOAT, that is great. And there will never be a unanimous answer. I just wanted to write this opinion piece to show how amazing Lebron is.
In my opinion, I think LeBron is the GOAT, his resume is filled with accolades and the things he has accomplished are unprecedented. Lebron is about to turn 31 and is in his 21st season. He has been in the NBA longer than most students on campus. With all of that being said, he is still arguably a top 10 player in the league right now. Statistically, there have only been 6 players to make it to their 21st season and play during that season. LeBron is the 6th and is averaging 26.4 points. The other 5 players combined are averaging 24.0 points combined! We have never seen anyone play to this strength for this long in their NBA career. He, recently, played a game on November 17th. During that game, he reached the milestone of having played the most NBA minutes ever, including playoff minutes. He is the NBA all-time leading scorer with over 39,000 points, has the 4th most assists in NBA history, and he is also in the top 30 for rebounds of all time. He is the only player ever to have more than 10,000 assists and 10,000 rebounds while also being the leading scorer. He is also essentially first for everything in the playoffs outside of three pointers made. Yet, he is still in the top 10, at 5th. That is also without him being described as a knockdown shooter for his career.
I could list out a lot more basketball statistics to let you know how great LeBron is, but I also want to discuss how he has helped many communities around the country as well. Many people include off the court ideas when discussing the GOAT, but I am not doing that, I just want to illuminate that LeBron is not just a basketball player/athlete despite people wishing he was. Lebron has partially funded an entire school to be built, this school was originally for academically struggling third and fourth graders. But now, teaches grades first-eighth. Additionally, transportation is provided for free for those who live more than two miles away, and a food pantry is available for families.
One of his most scrutinized moves was when he had a live airing of him leaving the Cavaliers for the first time, but many people overlook this broadcast which raised around 4 million dollars which all of which were donated to charity in Miami. In 2020, he was a part of the “More Than a Vote” initiative which promotes registration and establishing a plan to vote. With his involvement in voter registration, he campaigned for the NBA to not have games on election day and that stadiums are also voting spots for people! There could be articles written about both him on the court and off the court, but I am past my word limit. LeBron is a wonderful role model for everyone and should be celebrated!
