Who was considered the Goat before MJ [edit : Poll Added]
- Thread starter bucks3115
- Start date
I always heard kareem
Bill Russell
Tommy Knocks
retired
Wilt.
Patrick Kane
Superstar
I always heard Dr J for some reason. As I got older I realized he was a great player but not GOAT level shyt.
I’d say it was definitely a Laker. Either Kareem or Magic.
filial_piety
Banned
As a kid I use to hear Dr J as the goat before MJ began winning his chips...I think he was always considered the MJ before MJ
EDIT: Ole heads use to always say Wilt Chamberlain from what I can remember. My pop is in his 70s and he’s watched em all and he still thinks there will never be another Wilt the stilt
EDIT: Ole heads use to always say Wilt Chamberlain from what I can remember. My pop is in his 70s and he’s watched em all and he still thinks there will never be another Wilt the stilt
Last edited:
Dilltastic VolWon(derful)
Superstar
Oscar Robertson
I feel like there wasn’t a unanimous GOAT before MJ. It was probably different depending on who you talk to
When I was young I always heard it was Dr J for some reason. Now looking back I don’t know why they were saying him over Kareem.
When I was young I always heard it was Dr J for some reason. Now looking back I don’t know why they were saying him over Kareem.
YoungMoneyCashMoneyBoy
Superstar
You gotta realize you need a pool of people in order to have a discussion about GOAT. The NBA started in 1946. Up until 1956, when the league was 10 years old, the pool wasn't deep enough to have as serious discussion, but I assume everyone back then considered Mikan the best. 4 championships in 6 years, 3 scoring titles. No real competition. It was a given, but the league was in its infancy.
Now, 1956 some real talent starts to come in with bill russell and he immediately leads the celtics to a title his rookie year and then 8 more over the next 9 years. 1959 you get wilt and 1960 you get oscar. These 3 are the holy trinity of players of that time. They were either putting up ridiculous stats (wilt and oscar) or winning at an alarming rate (bill). Mikan couldn't hold a candle to these 3. His legacy is now in the background. Russell retired in 69, wilt in 73 and oscar in 74. So up until that time, it's debatable who's the goat depending on what you valued. From what i've read, although wilt was mythical status, bill was considered the greatest due to rings. At this point the league is about 30 years old with 3 main players in the convo with a young kareem on the come up and threatening to enter the convo.
By 1975, kareem's got a ring, averaging 30/15, and has 3 MVPs and by 1979 he's got 5 MVPs, but with only 1 ring, his individual success isn't putting him above bill. He wasnt leading his team to championships anymore and he wasn't generating any excitement for the game. The league was considered dead and the games were on tape delay. But now there are 4 serious players in the discussion.
Enter the 80s. Now you have a new breed of exciting players with bird and magic, who changed the image of the league, increased tv ratings, and created a rivalry that lasted throughout the decade. Both were 6'9"/6'10" and could do it all. The game had never seen players like them before. And not only were they exciting, but they were winners. Every finals of the 80s either consisted of the lakers or the celtics. So now you have 2 more players added to the convo with a young mike on the comeup.
So to sum it up, before mike, you had
Bill
Wilt
Oscar
Kareem
Magic
Bird
All in the conversation. No real consensus. Old heads swore by bill, wilt and oscar. The newer generation saw magic and bird as the GOATs.
Mike came in, shut the door on the convo and never looked back. He's even the GOAT collegiate player
Now, 1956 some real talent starts to come in with bill russell and he immediately leads the celtics to a title his rookie year and then 8 more over the next 9 years. 1959 you get wilt and 1960 you get oscar. These 3 are the holy trinity of players of that time. They were either putting up ridiculous stats (wilt and oscar) or winning at an alarming rate (bill). Mikan couldn't hold a candle to these 3. His legacy is now in the background. Russell retired in 69, wilt in 73 and oscar in 74. So up until that time, it's debatable who's the goat depending on what you valued. From what i've read, although wilt was mythical status, bill was considered the greatest due to rings. At this point the league is about 30 years old with 3 main players in the convo with a young kareem on the come up and threatening to enter the convo.
By 1975, kareem's got a ring, averaging 30/15, and has 3 MVPs and by 1979 he's got 5 MVPs, but with only 1 ring, his individual success isn't putting him above bill. He wasnt leading his team to championships anymore and he wasn't generating any excitement for the game. The league was considered dead and the games were on tape delay. But now there are 4 serious players in the discussion.
Enter the 80s. Now you have a new breed of exciting players with bird and magic, who changed the image of the league, increased tv ratings, and created a rivalry that lasted throughout the decade. Both were 6'9"/6'10" and could do it all. The game had never seen players like them before. And not only were they exciting, but they were winners. Every finals of the 80s either consisted of the lakers or the celtics. So now you have 2 more players added to the convo with a young mike on the comeup.
So to sum it up, before mike, you had
Bill
Wilt
Oscar
Kareem
Magic
Bird
All in the conversation. No real consensus. Old heads swore by bill, wilt and oscar. The newer generation saw magic and bird as the GOATs.
Mike came in, shut the door on the convo and never looked back. He's even the GOAT collegiate player
Take It In Blood
Banned
Kareem, Wilt, Russel, Bird, Magic and Doctor J
He's even the GOAT collegiate player
over Kareem ???
Kareem had a damn near perfect college career.
YoungMoneyCashMoneyBoy
Superstar
Without googling, who did kareem win his 3 titles against? What centers did he go against in those games? Did they even get drafted? I studied his collegiate career.
Decorated collegiate career? Sure. Perfect considered his competition? Na. Perfect timing? Yes.
without googling, the only one I know for sure is Villanova...can’t tell you the other two.
But what does that matter? What makes MJs college career the GOAT?