While Michael Jordan's prolific scoring prowess throughout his 15-year NBA career and his unblemished record in championship finals have led a majority of basketball fans and even numerous contemporaries to crown him the undisputed GOAT, Shawn Kemp presented a notable exception to this consensus.
The 6'10" forward posited a different set of criteria for GOAT status, criteria which, in his estimation, His Airness fails to fulfill. Instead, the six-time All-Star asserted how Bill Russell more aptly embodies these qualifications.
Kemp on choosing Russell over MJ as the GOAT
During his appearance on 'All The Smoke' podcast, Kemp elaborated on his perspective, asserting that Russell had a more dynamic and overall influence on the game. Though he acknowledged how valiantly MJ led the league in scoring in 10 of his 13 seasons with the Chicago Bulls and even averaged 15 points per game more than Bill The Hill, his influence was only limited to his scoring prowess.
Kemp argued that Russell willingly sacrificed personal accolades for team success. Though he did lead the league in five seasons and had 8 All-defensive Team selections less than Jordan, Bill boosted his team's overall winning prowess in more ways than one.
"People get mad at me for saying this… but Bill… Bill Russell. You hear what I'm saying? The best to ever play the game is not going to be the leading scorer. The best would be in the middle, doing a lot of different things because he's going to be able to help people out. Keep the ball in play. Bill Russell was the first one blocking shots, keep the ball in play," Kemp said .
"Absolutely man, when I look through the years of basketball Wilt Chamberlain was a beat but sh*t Bill Russell was wearing his a** out. So let's keep it real, when you talk about all-around best player in the game… he's gonna be up there."
The SuperSonics legend concluded by stating that the only reason Russell doesn't dominate the GOAT discussions is because modern-day fans do not have enough proof to see him dominate arguably the most dominant center for multiple years.
Related: "You could just feel it, the lack of respect" - Alonzo Mourning on the tense environment in the gold medal game against France in the 2000 Olympics
Has Kemp always been skeptical of Jordan's dominance?
During the 1996 NBA Finals, Jordan averaged a series-high 27.3 points per game, leading the Bulls to victory over the SuperSonics. However, The Reign Man firmly believes that Dennis Rodman, rather than the six-time Finals MVP, was the crucial factor in defeating Seattle.
While Kemp is entitled to his perspective, it does seem that he is consistently inclined to refrain from awarding Mike the ultimate pace in the basketball world.
Related: Rasheed Wallace says Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is his GOAT: "That man was a winner at every level"
Most Popular
Comments / 0