NBA Courtside
Paul Pierce says if LeBron James goes to the Sixers it takes him totally out the GOAT debate: "No player that we consider that's been in a GOAT debate has been a fourth option. No, seriously. Like Jordan, even when he went to the Wizards, was still the first option. Kareem was second option. Worh Magic. Like when we start having these debates about the GOAT and we say, we?ll, you know, Philly won a championship, but he was fourth option. He has five rings but fourth and fifth option, like so it?ll do something to his legacy. I really believe that."
Kareem was the 4th option his final 2 years. Magic, Worthy, B Scott were all around 20ppg. Kareem was 15ppg and then 10ppg his final two years. AC Green had 13ppg to make Kareem the 5th leading scorer in Kareem's last season.
I guess Bill Russell is not included in this GOAT discussion. He was 7th in scoring on his own team his final year. Before that, 4th in scoring in 1968, then 5th in 1967, 4th again in 1966. 3rd in 1965. 4th in 1964. Back to 3rd in 1963. 2nd in scoring in 1962 although 1st in the playoffs. Back in 1958, he was 4th in regular season and 5th in playoffs. 4th in his rookie year in 1957.