Kyle Adnam goes In The Paint to discuss how LeBron James can still catch Michael Jordan as the NBA’s GOAT

MELBOURNE United’s Kyle Adnam believes, despite today’s NBA Finals loss to the Warriors, LeBron James can still catch Michael Jordan as the greatest player in NBA history.

Can LeBron James still catch Michael Jordan? Picture: Getty Images/AFP

IT’S the hottest argument in basketball.

Michael Jordan has long been known as the greatest player in NBA history.

But there’s a guy in Cleveland who has slowly been chipping away at the Chicago Bulls’ legend’s legacy.

Even though he remarkably averaged a triple-double and did everything short of carrying his teammates to the 2017 title, many believe James’ loss to the superteam Golden State Warriors is the final nail in his GOAT argument.

The biggest knock on James is his inability to get the job done in the NBA Finals.

He’s made it to the big dance a remarkable eight times.

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But he’s only come away with the chocolates in three of those, meaning he was on the losing end five times.

MJ made it there six times and in all six of them, he took his Bulls to the promised land.

Can LeBron James still catch Michael Jordan? Picture: Getty Images/AFP

Jordan also never left his club to form a superteam in the hunt for titles — but that’s another story.

Melbourne United young gun Kyle Adnam told the In The Paint Podcast he is in Jordan’s corner, but believes the loss to the Warriors was not a fatal wound to James’ chase.

“You can debate about it all day,” Adnam said.

“I think right now Michael Jordan’s the best player of all time.

“But I think that LeBron James will be by the end of his career.

“I believe that if it’s all about titles, then Bill Russell’s the best ever and I think that LeBron getting to the finals that many times is amazing.

“He reinvents careers. When MJ left to go play baseball, the Bulls still won 58 games. When LeBron left, the Cavs were the worst team in the east.

“What? LeBron James is better than me? I don’t think so.” Picture: AP

“So I think it just goes to show how much of a valuable piece he is to his team.”

Adnam believes James needs to eclipse Jordan’s six titles for there to be a definitive answer, but says James abilities will exceed His Airness when it’s all said and done.

Adnam said he’s a massive Bulls “superfan” because his dad loved them too, but he believes today’s Golden State Warriors would crush the dominant 72-win Bulls of 1995-96.

“I love the Bulls, but I think this Golden State team just beats Chicago,” he said,.

“It’s a lot different game now, you’ve got four guys who are, if we average it out, around that 6-7, 6-8 size.

Weapons like Kevin Durant and Steph Curry would make today’s NBA champion Golden State Warriors a tough ask for the 1995-96 Bulls. Picture: AP

“You pretty much switch everything on the floor and then you have sort of a point forward.

“It’s a different game.

“Personally I think the Warriros would almost blow the Bulls out, just because of the pace.

“You can’t compare them because it’s different eras, but ... the way they play is just amazing.”

Kyle Adnam has become a sparkplug for Melbourne United. Picture: Stuart Walmsley

Adnam spoke about his young career in the NBL, that featured stops in Adelaide and Wollongong, before settling at Melbourne United and the queasy reason why his nickname is ‘Projectile’.

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Originally published as Kyle Adnam goes In The Paint to discuss how LeBron James can still catch Michael Jordan as the NBA’s GOAT