Encyclopedia of Opinion
Question
Who is the best basketball player of all time?
Position1 of 5›
Michael Jordan is the best basketball player of all time
Argument1 of 3›

Jordan led the best team of all time

Jordan's Chicago Bulls dominated in both the regular season and the playoffs throughout much of the 1990s, and the 1995-96 Bulls were the best team ever.

The argument

The Chicago Bulls's 1996 NBA championship victory concluded what remains the greatest season for any team to date. The Bulls set a record for wins in the regular season, going 72-10 overall and becoming the first team to win at least 70 games in the 82-game season. They also set a record for NBA Elo rating at 1853 after winning the third game of the NBA finals series. While both of those records were later surpassed by the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, that Warriors team failed to win the NBA championship, losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA finals. The 1995-96 Bulls represented an improvement on Jordan's previous championship teams, which won three NBA titles in a row from 1991-1993. In addition to Jordan's long-time teammate Scottie Pippen, the 1995-96 Bulls benefited from the addition of Dennis Rodman, another future Hall of Famer who is often regarded as the greatest rebounder in NBA history. With extensive championship experience, Jordan and Pippen in peak form, and Rodman contributing to a stronger defensive identity, the 1995-96 Bulls set a new standard for dominance in the NBA, and paved the way to Jordan's second championship threepeat from 1996-1998. As he was undeniably the leader and best player on the most successful team in NBA history, Jordan's case for being considered the greatest player of all time extends well beyond his legacy of individual brilliance.

Premises

[P1]Jordan's 1995-96 Bulls had the greatest season ever, going a record 72-10 and winning the title, unlike the Warriors team that later broke the wins record but lost the finals. [P2] With Pippen at his peak and the great rebounder Dennis Rodman added, that team set a new standard for dominance and led to a second threepeat. [P3] Jordan was undeniably the leader and best player on the most successful team in NBA history. [C] Therefore, because Jordan led the best team of all time, Michael Jordan is the best basketball player of all time.

Counter-arguments

Leading the greatest single-season team is impressive, but it is a team accomplishment, and using it to crown an individual runs into obvious problems. Team success depends heavily on teammates: the 1995–96 Bulls also featured a peak Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, widely regarded as the finest rebounder of his era, so the record reflects a great roster, not Jordan alone. Rival cases rest on measures the argument does not address — Bill Russell won eleven championships, more than double Jordan's, if titles are decisive; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds longevity and scoring records; LeBron James combines all-around production with an unmatched span of sustained excellence. A single record-setting season is also a narrow window compared with career-long bodies of work. That Jordan was the best player on the best team supports his candidacy, but 'best team of all time' is partly a credit to Pippen, Rodman and the organisation, and does not by itself settle an individual GOAT question the sibling positions contest on other grounds.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P3] Being the best player on the most successful team credits a great roster — Pippen and Rodman included — as much as one individual, so team success does not isolate Jordan's individual greatness. [Rejecting C] Team achievement is one criterion; Russell's eleven titles, Kareem's records and LeBron's longevity are rival individual measures the argument leaves unaddressed.