The NBA has been around since 1946, and ever since then people have been discussing who is the overall best player. While many people have a personal favorite, there are several players who have been well established as elite. At Eagle Academy, everyone has an opinion on who is the all-time NBA GOAT.

33.3% of people polled said that the all-time GOAT title belongs to the one and only Michael Jordan. When asked why he deserved to win the title of all-time GOAT, Tairaye Ferguson, class of 2028 said, “he’s tough.” Devin Manly, class of 2026 stated, “MJ has the most rings and the best stats.” Jariel Perez, class of 2026 noted that he often averaged 40 points in a game.

24.2% of people polled said that the title belongs to King James a.k.a. Lebron James. Luis Reyes, class of 2025 said, “he was able to make his teams better and carry them to the playoffs.” Michael Delvalle (class of 2026) and Qu Dir Lloyd (class of 2025) noted that no other players were able to do what he has continued to do at the age of 38, “he’s still putting up buckets.” Other students noted that James is “a part of our generation” and “a leader in social justice issues.”

Finally, 21.2% of students stated that Kobe Bryant a.k.a. Black Mamba is the GOAT. When asked why, many students noted his work ethic and mentality. “He has the Mamba mentality. He doesn’t make mistakes,” stated Noel Pizarro (class of 2028). Jahzire Obryant (class of 2026) mentioned his consistency with workouts, noting he often started practicing before the sun came up. Jeremy Chavez (class of 2029) noted “his defense and shooting were on point.”

However, many students disagreed with the three most popular picks for GOAT. Other top contenders were Kyrie Irving, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morent, Charles Barkey, and Magic Johnson. Demetrio Vazquez (class of 2026) noted that Barkley, “was one of the best dunkers and had the best defensive lockdown.” Elijah Medina (class of 2025) said that Irving “is the  most unguarded player in the league.” Finally, our very own Coach Brown stated “Magic Johnson is the first player that I’ve seen literally change the game. At 6’9″ he played point guard, center, and power forward. What Magic did, before Jordan or Kobe, changed the game.”