No Michael Jordan, but this is clearly the NBA’s GOAT era

Michael Jordan may be considered the greatest player to ever grace the hardwood, but he wasn’t playing in the NBA’s best era.

COMMENT

Sorry Michael Jordan, you may be the GOAT but you weren’t playing in the GOAT era.

MJ revolutionised basketball with his killer like instincts and absurd array of moves he’d produce around the rim.

But as he led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles, he did so in a league that was far below what we see unfolding in the game today.

Before you start shouting at me that the game back in Jordan’s era was tougher, I hear you … the game was brutal but that doesn’t mean it was better.

Current NBA superstar Anthony Edwards, 23, sparked fierce backlash in August when he said MJ was the only player “that really had skill” from past generations.

Edwards’ comments came with an initial remark that he also didn’t watch the sport back in the day, but nevertheless the remarked caused uproar.

Well I’m not going to sit here and defend what Edwards said, his comments surrounding the game as a whole are bang on the money.

Edwards’ comments sparked fierce backlash.  (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

MJ and Scottie Pippen during their historic Bulls days. (Photo by JEFF HAYNES / AFP)

The skill level across the board is tenfold on what it previously was, the biggest caveat however to why this era now is far superior to the one when MJ was running around is simple… the NBA is finally looked outside of its own borders.

Through the 90s, when MJ’s popularity boomed worldwide, only one international player finished in the top five in MVP voting.

In 10 seasons, Hakeen Olajuwon (born in Nigeria) became the only international player to finish in the top five, doing so on five occasions.

International players in today’s NBA landscape are no longer role players, they’ve taken over the league and are dominating it.

You can watch the Sports Ranting team debate the best NBA era in the video above

Nikola Jokic has taken the NBA by storm. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

The past six MVP winners have all been born outside of the USA. Need more proof of the international dominance?

Of the past three MVPs, four out of the top five in the voting have been international players with the top four in last seasons voting all internationally born players with Nikola Jokic edging out Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

And there’s no sign of that trend coming to an end with the bookmakers installing five international stars (Jokic, Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander, Joel Embiid and Antetokounmpo) as the top five favourites to win the 2024-25 MVP award.

A starting five of international players in today’s era would more likely than not enter as favourites against a starting five of American born players.

The same cannot be said of Jordan’s era.

Team USA’s 1992 Olympic squad, The Dream Team, are remembered as arguably the greatest team ever assembled.

They dominated every nation they came up against as they stormed their way to the gold medal, finishing the Barcelona Olympics with an average winning margin of 43.75 points.

But the game has come so far since those days.

The 1992 Team USA Dream Team.

During the 1992 Olympics there were only 12 non-American players in the NBA, outside of the USA’s Dream Team.

Compare that to the recent Olympics which saw 69 NBA players that weren’t American playing in Paris.

The international game has exploded and has helped take the NBA to even greater heights, elevating every facet of the game.

Every team in the league now has an international presence with the NBA in 2023/24 registering a third consecutive season of at least 120 international players on rosters for opening-night.

Luka Doncic is leading the way for the international stars. Joshua Gateley/Getty Images/AFP

Giannis Antetokounmpo has taken the NBA to new heights. Stacy Revere/Getty Images/AFP

Now this argument isn’t to say that Jordan wouldn’t have dominated in today’s game, far from it. What I’m simply pointing out is that Jordan’s era, as tough as it was, simply cannot be considered the GOAT era for the NBA.

The international presence of the game has seen it reach astronomical heights that not even the great MJ could reach.

Every single player on an NBA roster has skills us mere mortals can only dream of possessing, but the biggest point in the entire debate is the international spice.

The influx of players from outside of the USA have all but sealed up the debate, this right now is the GOAT era for the best basketball league in the world.

Originally published as No Michael Jordan, but this is clearly the NBA’s GOAT era