Many legendary players who played before Michael Jordan have regarded him as the NBA’s undisputed GOAT. However, 12-time All-Star Rick Barry was never one of them.
The whole point of Barry’s argument was that each position comes with its own set of responsibilities and demands unique skills. That said, Barry firmly believes that a direct comparison between players of different positions in determining the GOAT always gives a biased and senseless result. However, Barry doesn’t take away anything from MJ as the greatest shooting guard of all time.
“I keep hearing he’s the greatest, and that upsets me,” Barry once said of Jordan. “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 just hated GOAT conversations
Barry himself is one of the greatest players to ever play the game. He led the ABA in scoring in 1967 and was named an All-Star in each of his six seasons in the league. His contributions to the sport helped elevate the level of play in the ABA and left a lasting legacy that carried on to the NBA.
Due to Barry’s undeniable talent and success, some consider “The Miami Greyhound” as the ABA GOAT. Unsurprisingly, Barry refused to embrace the title because, again, he just doesn’t think that label makes sense in a team sport where it’s impossible to compare players.
“No, no, no,” Barry once said about arguably being the ABA GOAT. “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, 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.”
The GOAT debate will continue
Barry has made his stance on GOAT discussions crystal clear. But whether he likes it or not, this NBA debate will continue to be a hot topic of discussion among basketball enthusiasts for years to come.
As long as there are new players making their mark on the game and passionate fans voicing their opinions, the debate over who is the greatest basketball player of all time will remain an ongoing and captivating conversation in the world of sports.
