Across North America, basketball is one of the most popular sports with millions of devoted fans. While nothing beats the thrill of a live NBA game rooting for your favorite team or player, not everyone agrees on who the “GOAT” is.
It is known that most of the teams are actually American teams, but there are also some Canadian teams. The most successful was Toronto his Raptors, who famously won the championship in 2019 by defeating Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors in the playoffs.
The Raptors’ maiden win sent basketball’s popularity skyrocketing in Canada. As a result, Canadian fans are just as passionate about the NBA as American fans are.The passion is so strong, fans are spending billions of dollars sports betting in canadawe can see that the industry has grown by 123% over the past year.
We often discuss who is the greatest basketball player of all time, but there are many names that come up all the time.
It all started: Earl Manigote
Earl Manigault, often considered the greatest basketball player to never play in the NBA, was the original GOAT. Born in 1945, he made a name for himself in Harlem, playing basketball regularly on the playground and competing with other players. Manigoto, short for basketball, was only six inches and one inch, but his lightning speed, agility and huge jumping ability allowed him to create innovative scoring methods.
His nickname was “GOAT”. Not what the acronym means. I don’t mean the best ever, but because one of his teachers mispronounced his name.
NBA legend Abdul-Jabbar once said, “Manigoto was an artist who could play basketball as well as Beethoven could play the piano.” Nonetheless, Manigoto never realized his potential, dropping out of high school for smoking marijuana and then squandering his talents on a life of drug addiction and crime.
What rocked our world: Michael Jordan
One of the greatest players of all time. It’s no exaggeration to say that Michael Jordan was born to play basketball. He started his career with the Chicago Bulls and finished playing with the Washington Wizards.
Jordan was the 3rd overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft and has since won the NBA Playoffs six times. Additionally, Jordan represented the United States in his 1984 and his 1992 Olympic Games, both winning gold medals.
In addition, he has a brilliant career as a shooting guard, receiving the individual award MVP (Most Value Player) five times. In total, Michael Jordan scored his 32,292 points in the NBA, making him the fifth-leading scorer of all time.
Many fans believe Jordan is the GOAT because he was impossible to defend. Even the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers says Jordan is the greatest of all time, along with Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley.
Someone who inspired us all: Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant, nicknamed “The Black Mamba,” is an NBA legend. He is the all-time leading scorer in Lakers history and debuted in 1996 at the age of 17 as the second-youngest player at the time. In total, he is his fourth leading scorer in the NBA, behind Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, and Karl Malone. Kobe loves breaking records and at 29 he is also the youngest player ever to reach 20,000 points in the NBA.
Many consider Kobe to be the GOAT because of his scoring. He played one 80-point game, six 60-point games, 26 50-point games, and 134 40-point games. In addition to being a prolific scorer, he is also a serial champion, winning the NBA MVP award five times and once for him. Bryant also won an Olympic gold medal in 2008 and he in 2012 with the United States.
He was a one-team man, had the ultimate work ethic, and was a great model. Unfortunately, in 2020, Kobe Bryant dies in California helicopter crash, with a daughter and a pilot. His basketball fans around the world mourned his death and remembered the brilliance he showed on the court.
