Kevin Garnett is urging basketball enthusiasts to move beyond the legacies of NBA legends Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson and appreciate the current greatness within the league.
In a recent conversation with Stephen A. Smith, KG expressed his viewpoint. "We have to move past this. Michael Jordan, Magic, they belong to the past. We need to embrace the current greatness, bro,” said the former NBA player. “We need to embrace the excellence that's right in front of us now. … Excuse my language, but forget about what happened last year.” Smith, a devoted MJ fan, took the conversation seriously, positioning the Chicago Bulls legend at No. 1 and LeBron at No. 2.
“If I say that, among the thousands of players, I think MJ is number one and LeBron James is number two of all time—whether you agree or disagree, I'm not disrespecting you by saying you're number two all time.”
Garnett seemed to differ: “That's what that implies when you say that. That's what I’m saying.” "We have never seen someone at 38, averaging 30 and then reaching 39,000 [points]. We have never seen that,” Garnett commented on LeBron.
However, Smith continued to support Jordan. “We did see someone win a three-peat twice, after three-peating, then took a year and a half off, and came back and three-peated again. I'm not trying to insult anyone; I'm appreciating all the greatness.”
Garnett acknowledged the greatness of both players. “[MJ] is my GOAT in all of this … He's the vision of what every Black man should aspire to. … He has set the standard, right?” He then praised LeBron: “I played against him. I've let it go. It's not personal for me anymore. I'm watching as a fan, giving flowers, and looking at it from a different perspective of things that I've never seen in the game, Steve.”
