Rick Barry is one of the best players ever to grace the NBA but unlike many legendary players from the past, the 12-time All-Star doesn’t consider Michael Jordan as the GOAT. However, there is a proper explanation for the point Barry makes about the former Chicago Bulls legend.
Barry wanted people to understand that every position in the game of basketball has a distinct set of duties and requires a certain set of abilities. Nevertheless, Barry is adamant that comparing players directly across positions to determine the GOAT is always going to produce an arbitrary and biased outcome. Barry doesn’t, however, diminish Michael Jordan’s status as the all-time great shooting guard.
What did Barry say?
Barry said, “I keep hearing he’s the greatest, and that upsets me. It’s not fair to other players. You can’t compare a 2-guard to a center. There are five different and distinct positions. He’s the greatest 2-guard I ever saw and the most exciting player.”
Rick Barry never enjoyed GOAT talks
Barry has always been vocal when it came to GOAT conversations. He replied this when he was asked to be a GOAT himself, “No, no, no. First of all, that’s bullsh*t when people do that. There’s no such thing as the ‘best player in a sport.’ It’s maybe the best player at his position. You can’t compare a center to a forward, a forward to a guard, guard to a point guard. It’s like baseball. You can’t compare Willie Mays right to Sandy Koufax — that makes no freakin’ sense.”
Barry is among the best players to have ever played the game. Throughout his six seasons in the ABA, he was named an All-Star every year and led the ABA in scoring in 1967. His enduring influence extended to the NBA after ABA merged into the NBA in 1976.