By Ata Ukuta
The goals Cristiano Ronaldo is currently scoring for club and country has revived his fanbase to restart the GOATship debate between him and Lionel Messi. They are saying it is not over until it is over. And it is not impossible for Portugal to be led by Ronaldo in the 2026 to World Cup glory, erasing the edge Messi has over him in the GOATship debate. Messi has also seen that his arch-rival is not ready to retire anytime soon. So, he has hinted that he would be available for the next World Cup to be hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States between June and 19th of July 2026.
These debates are becoming increasingly common among sports fans. The most recent one that caught my attention and got me debating within myself about the GOATship debate between Michael Jordan and Lebron James. A few years ago, my conclusion was that in Basketball, Michael Jordan is without any question the GOAT. Nevertheless, in the last five years, Lebron James has established himself in the mind of old and young Basketball fans that he is worthy to be introduced into the GOATship conversation.
This is a remarkable feat because in most sports, the GOATship debate is often between the great sports men or women who were active in the last few decades. This is evident in soccer where Maradona was first crowned by many as the GOAT of soccer even with his drug use and failed drug tests. Many were not ready to consider Pele who had scored more goals and won more World Cups than any soccer great in history. In the current debate between Messi and Ronaldo, sport statisticians have even found ways to nullify many of Pele’s goals and achievements to keep the debate only between Messi and Ronaldo. Some say racism is involved.
Luckily for Basketball, the GOATship debate is between two Black greats. So, racism is cancelled out from the equation. Without racism tilting opinions and facts, I thought it would be easy to come to an objective conclusion. Surprisingly it did not. I had to ask myself why was the Boxing great Muhammad Ali referred to as the GOAT in Boxing with little or no controversy? The answer lies in the fact that Ali was great within and outside the boxing arena. Another person that has achieved a similar feat is the gymnast – Simone Biles and she is not yet done. Novak Djokovic has prevented the likes of Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer from remaining in the GOATship conversation in Tennis. Coming back to Michael Jordan and Lebron James, I am tempted to call them CO-GOATS.
This is because when I analyze as objectively as I can Michael Jordan’s on-court achievements, he is the GOAT. But he has almost zero points outside the basketball court. On the other hand, when I analyze Lebron James with the fact that he has been a role model in many areas – from using his platform to speak for the voiceless like Ali, to marrying and remaining with his high school sweetheart to raise their children and still posting unbelievable stats at almost 39 years, the debates shift. To be crowned a Champion and MVP of the first In-Season Tournament in 2023 somewhat cements his claim to the GOATship of Basketball. The fact that Lebron came out of High School with all the pressure of greatness, and he has delivered unblemished unlike Tiger Woods for example, makes his greatness unparalleled.
Ata Ukuta is the founder and Editor of Towncryyers