"Everybody say he is the greatest of all time. I always say what criteria are you using" - George Gervin on why he questions Michael Jordan's status as the GOAT
For decades, the "greatest of all time" debate in basketball has revolved around one name: Michael Jordan. His six championships, five MVP awards and cultural footprint from Nike deals to "The Last Dance" docu-series have cemented him in the eyes of millions as the sport's ultimate icon.
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But that conclusion isn't universally accepted among the legends who helped shape the game long before it turned into a billion-dollar media empire. One of those voices, George Gervin, hasn't hesitated to raise a fundamental question that shakes the foundation of the GOAT debate.
Debate criteria
Long before Jordan's signature fadeaway and tongue-out drives, there was Gervin, gliding across the hardwood with an elegance that defied the physical nature of the NBA in the '70s and early '80s.
A four-time scoring champion, Gervin brought artistry to the game with his finger roll, a shot so smooth it looked like it belonged in a jazz performance.
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"He's definitely one of the best to ever do it; everybody say he is the greatest of all time," Gervin said of Jordan. "I always say, what criteria are you using to say that. Because you can't forget about … Magic Johnson or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell."
Gervin dropped 33.1 points per game in the 1979–80 season and once scored 63 in a single game, without the benefit of a three-point line. Yet when modern conversations around greatness are held, he notices how easily names from earlier eras fade into the background.
This is a perspective earned through decades of watching the league evolve. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, for instance, retired as the NBA's all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points — a record that stood until 2023 when LeBron James finally surpassed it.
Magic Johnson revolutionized the game with his 6-foot-9 frame running the point, claiming five championships and three MVP awards in the process.
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Wilt Chamberlain once averaged 50 points per game for an entire season. And Bill Russell's 11 titles in 13 seasons remain untouched, unmatched and, in Gervin's eyes, underappreciated when G.O.A.T. status is casually handed to Jordan.
That's where Gervin's caution stems from. The tendency to compress greatness into highlight reels and championship rings misses the complex layers that make basketball's history so rich. And to reduce the discussion to a single era — Jordan's era — is to ignore the shifting definitions of dominance across time.
Related: Goran Dragic firmly believes the Heat would've won the Bubble Finals if he hadn't gotten hurt: "I'm always gonna say yes"
The weight of eras
To Gervin, the issue isn't Jordan's legacy. It's the misapplication of absolutes. "Greatest of all time" implies a single standard, a measuring stick that spans eras with different rules, styles and expectations. We hear many legends using a similar argument. That, Gervin argues, is fundamentally flawed.
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"When you say all-time, come on man, what is all time?" he said. "That's the thing you can use for separation, everybody played in their own era. Is Mike the greatest of his era? Hell yeah. But he ain't the greatest of all time simply because I don't know what criteria you are using to say that."
And there's weight to that logic. Jordan entered a league that had already been built on the backs of players who endured segregation, league mergers and far less media coverage. Russell played in an era with eight to 14 teams and faced rampant racism on and off the court, yet still managed to turn the Boston Celtics into a dynasty.
Chamberlain dominated with raw, unmatched athleticism before modern training regimens or advanced analytics existed. Abdul-Jabbar straddled multiple generations, from Oscar Robertson and Julius Erving to Johnson and Larry Bird and maintained excellence through them all.
Statistically, each era offers a different challenge. Jordan's career 30.1 points per game leads all players in history. Gervin isn't challenging Jordan's excellence. No one does. He's challenging the idea that one name alone can define greatness for a sport as layered and evolving as basketball.
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The NBA has always been a league of torch-passing moments. Each era stands as a monument to a different version of greatness. Respecting the foundation is part of appreciating the structure. And in that structure, MJ may be the most iconic. But as the greatest? That, many before Jordan's time believe, is still open to debate.
Related: "Michael Jordan absolutely couldn't have played through those cramps" - When Isiah Thomas defended LeBron for sitting out in the 2014 NBA Finals
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
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(Top illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; Photos: Cooper Neill, Gregory Shamus, Wesley Hitt / Getty Images)
