When it comes to combining the acronyms NBA and GOAT, the list is usually very short. A lot of people say Michael Jordan. Less (but still a lot) say LeBron James. A few West Coasters say Mike BibbyKobe. And old-timers with perspective (or rose-tinted goggles, your choice) may throw in a claim for someone like Bill Russell or Wilt Chamberlain.
While Joel Embiid may only be 24-years-old, you can throw him in that same group of elderly diehards that maybe your dad or grandpa's a member of. We say that because on Tuesday, Embiid declared that the best who ever did it was not Jordan, but instead Wilt the Stilt. (Though I guess, when you think about it, it's not that shocking that a seven-foot tall center chose a big man for the honor.)
Embiid made it clear who his choice was when he spoke to The Ringer's Jason Concepcion about who was the best to ever lace them up:
â[Jordan is] not the GOAT. To me, you got Wilt Chamberlain," Embiid argued. "I mean he has all the records. Theyâre never gonna be beaten. I donât see anybody getting 100 points in a game. Thatâs it, heâs the GOAT.â
Of course he's trolling so much that sometimes it's hard to know when he's for real or not. But it's not like he picked a gag center to make it obvious, so we'd say kudos for paying tribute to his elders is in order.
