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Joakim Noah explains why he hates GOAT debates: "You don't ask who is better, Picasso or Dali"
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- Joakim Noah explains why he hates GOAT debates: "You don't ask who is better, Picasso or Dali"
The debate about who is the greatest of all time always kind of lingers in the back of the mind of every fan and analyst. However, whether we want to admit it or not, those conversations can become repetitive without offering a clear contribution to either side. Whether it is between LeBron James and Michael Jordan , or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kobe Bryant , different people will always have their own pick. And truthfully, that will always carry validity.
However, former Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah took it a step further and basically suggested that maybe more than one can exist in that convo at the same time. That greatness does not have to cancel out another kind of greatness. Maybe we are looking at it the wrong way from the start.
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"Who do I think is better? You know, I thought Baron Davis said something about that. It's like, you don't ask who is better, Picasso or Dali, they are both… greatness is greatness," the retired center opened up on "The Hoop Genius podcast."
Two different legends
Noah used the example of two painters who left an equally deep mark on global culture and who, to this day, are among the first names regular people think of when it comes to fine art. Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali both lived in a relatively similar era, both were from Spain, yet their styles were vastly different. Even to someone who does not know much about art, you can see the different styles that the two used, without getting too deep into the nuances.
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That is how Noah sees the situation with LeBron and MJ. Two vastly different players, each with their own particular set of skills and approach to the game of basketball as a whole. One built on unmatched athletic dominance and longevity, the other on killer instinct and flawless Finals execution. We are not going to dive into every detail of their respective games, because that rabbit hole has no bottom. The point Noah was making is much simpler than that, and he wants to make it perfectly clear.
"So, who was the best player that I played against? I would say LeBron James . Like, I hate the GOAT (debate). Can't LeBron and Jordan be great? It has to be who's better? They never played against each other, they're completely different players… It's hard to say, let's just appreciate greatness," Noah concluded.
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Jo makes his thoughts clear on this one
For Noah, the distinction is simple. He played against James during their prime years, so he knows exactly what kind of problem LeBron was in that stretch. James is also a big reason why Jo and the rest of that Bulls squad never reached the Finals during that era. Every serious run eventually ran into the King. All roads led through his teams, and Noah just could not get past him. And that is the biggest difference.
He competed against LeBron, so he can say with confidence that the best player he personally faced was James.
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But anything beyond that, such as claiming one has a clear advantage over the other in the all-time hierarchy, would only do a disservice to both legacies. For Noah, it is not about crowning one and diminishing the other.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
