Source: Statista

In many sports there is an ongoing (and often heated) debate about who should be considered the GOAT (Greatest of All Times) in that respective discipline. Whether it’s Federer vs. Nadal, Messi vs. Ronaldo (although it’s not even undebated who the greatest Ronaldo is) or Joe Montana vs. Tom Brady – each sports fan has his or her own opinion and many are very passionate about their personal GOAT choice.

Very few athletes can claim to be undisputed GOATs and apart from Muhammed Ali, Michael Jordan is a prime example. While the NBA has seen truly exceptional players over the past two decades, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant stand out especially, very few basketball fans dare question “His Airness”. Those who do often point to the NBA’s all-time scorer list, where Jordan has been surpassed by both James and Bryant and is only ranked fifth. That list is heavily influenced by the length of a player’s career though and Jordan played considerably fewer games than any of the players ranked before him.

Looking at points per game illustrates why Michael Jordan is considered the one and only GOAT by so many basketball fans. With an average of 30.1 points per game in regular season and an astonishing 33.4 points per playoff game, Jordan is unmatched by any player past or present. He is, if you will, the best among greats.