NBA

NBA Player Poll Votes in Favor of Bulls' Michael Jordan as the GOAT

MJ's GOAT vote count superseded that of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Bill Russell

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NBA player poll votes in favor of MJ as the GOAT originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

Michael Jordan takes the cake in this round. 

According to an anonymous player poll done by The Athletic, 58.3 percent of the 103 players polled believe Michael Jordan is the greatest player of all time. His vote count supersedes that of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Bill Russell and Tracy McGrady. 

However, more players in today's era are starting to come around to James. Four years ago, The Athletic conducted the same poll for then-active players. The results had Jordan as the GOAT for 73 percent of those polled. 

The gap is closing for James, who set the mark for the most career points in NBA history earlier this season. He surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabar and could close in on 40,000 points by the time he retires from the NBA. 

About a week ago, Mike Greenberg made his case for Jordan on The Pat McAfee Show, saying Jordan would average 40 points per contest in today's era. He cited a multitude of facts and differences in the modern NBA that would benefit MJ. 

RELATED: Mike Greenberg says MJ would average 40 points today

He cited the NBA's shift to load management as a counteract to Jordan's persistence in playing all 82 games. Over his final three years with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan played in every single regular season game. 

Greenberg also pointed to the difference in scoring value. Back in Jordan's era, scoring wasn't as much of a point of emphasis as it is today. However, Jordan consistently averaged over 30 points per game on "low-scoring games" compared to those today. 

He also looked to the game's avoidance of the 3-point line in contrast to its importance today. Jordan hardly shot the 3-point shot but a boost in his usage from beyond the arc would certainly jet his point total, according to Greenberg. 

"We got guys averaging 33 now," Greenberg said. "Michael Jordan never shot 3's because no one shot 3's back then. Michael Jordan's numbers should be viewed almost in the same context as Jerry West's."

It'll be interesting to see how Jordan's perceptions fare down the road. Certainly, more players who grew up watching James are entering the league, likely forming a bias against Chicago's all-time great. 

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