Settling hoopdom’s GOAT debate
Preceding the year-end holidays, my gratitude addressed special friends for a couple of books sent from the USA. One came from Dang Cecilio Palanca of the Palanca Memorial Awards Foundation.
The Best American Essays 2025, edited by Jia Tolentino, is published by Mariner Books. A close friend of Dang’s, Jia is a staff writer at The New Yorker and author of the best-selling Trick Mirror. We recall her participation at a Palanca Night a few years ago when she spoke to the gathering via video.
Among the 21 essayists whose published works were selected, America, the only notable byline for me is Carolyn Forché. But there’s a Filipino migrant in the list, Hannah Keith Agustin who’s “pursuing an MFA in literary reportage in New York University.” Originally published in The North American Review, her “Homeland Fictions” chronicles a series of urban demolitions during her youth in Manila. Now in her mid-20s, she writes about the latest, final one.
“The house is gone, and so is home.” Her family’s last place of residence is now “wreckage” that she observes via FaceTime with a cousin in Mandaluyong.
“Yet, even when it no longer stands, even when the house of my youth is mere fiction, a myth underneath the bridge that demolished it, I still go on Google Maps at one a.m. with a demented pull to its documented existence, zooming in to the gate of my sister’s high school, the neighborhood sundry store that sold rice porridge to my high school self, the aratilis tree in front of the only house my family has ever owned.”
In her Intro, Jia remarks: “To me, every essay is personal. It’s the writing form that most closely corresponds to what I’d argue is the central project of being alive—trying to understand that strange fact itself and then act on its implications.”
I should enjoy the rest of the book sometime, but for now, many thanks to both Jia (also for her penned dedication) and Dang.
Earlier, I had received a treasure from fellow book lover and sports fanatic Jojo Fresnedi in California. This one I can share more jewels from, given its timeliness.
Charles Barkley writes the Foreword for The Basketball 100: The Story of the Greatest Players in NBA History, by David Aldridge & John Hollinger with The Athletic NBA Staff, published by The Athletic Media Company in 2024.
The bulk of the 737-page hardbound presents The List, where Barkley is at No. 23. It starts with Draymond Green at No. 100, followed by Jimmy Butler at No. 99. Fifteen others still under NBA contracts are: No. 91 Jayson Tatum, Kyrie Irving at 80, Paul George at 72, Damian Lillard at 65, Anthony Davis at 57, Luka Doncic at 53, Russell Westbrook at 47, Joel Embiid at 41, Kawhi Leonard at 35, James Harden at 34, Nikola Jokic at 28, Giannis Antetokounmpo at 24, Kevin Durant at 14, Stephen Curry at 12, and LeBron James at No. 2.
Woops. That last would likely start an argument already regarding GOAT-hood. But wait, before we get there, I should mention that the most recent retiree is Chris Paul, listed at 31. Among the 87 now inactive, the big names include, in descending order from 3 to 10, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O’Neil, Tim Duncan, Larry Bird, and Kobe Bryant. At No. 11 is Hakeem Olajuwon, at 13 Oscar Robertson, at 15 Julius Erving, followed by Jerry West, Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett, Moses Malone, and Dirk Nowitzki. Other familiar favorites are David Robinson at 21, Isiah Thomas at 25, Dwyane Wade at 27, John Havlicek at 29, and Scottie Pippen at 30.
Fans would question specific placements. But apart from the individual essays that celebrate each one on the list, an additional section titled “GOAT Points” raises an interesting format applying to each player. This goes beyond the essays drawn up as capsule histories, including highlights and quotes from various experts, and summed up with Career NBA Stats and Achievements.
Re Vince Carter, for instance, Hollinger wrote: “His ‘half-amazing’ stretch encompassed the first decade of his career, in Toronto and New Jersey. But equally impressive was what might be called the ‘half-man’ stretch, when Carter thrived as a role player for another dozen years.”
The List is subject to updating, since certain players are still active. For instance, recent outstanding participation in the 2026 All-Star Weekend could have Dame Lillard and Kawhi Leonard advancing in rank. After all, “Dame Time” won his third 3-point shootout, while the resurgent “The Klaw” had an impressive 31 points in a 12-minute quarter to lead the USA Stripes team over Team World.
On the other hand, the guy who wound up as All-Star MVP of 2026, Antawn “ANTman” Jamison, doesn’t even make it to this book’s Top 100. (He’s only mentioned for his quoted plaudits for Tim Duncan.) Neither is the current leading season MVP contender, Shae Gilgeous Alexander. He does appear, almost as an afterthought, as No. 81 in the GOAT Points list.
This separate list concentrated on particular elements that can help establish summarized worth—with questions on certain accomplishments, such as “How many All-Star-caliber seasons did he have?”
“MVP votes shares” as the first item earned 50 points for each, while other distinctions merited reduced numbers, from 1 to 10 points each. Expectedly, the compiled points favored the top two players, MJ and LBJ, conforming with the continuing debate on who should turn out as the GOAT for all time.
Despite his continuing assault on the record books on his 22nd year as an active player, the 41-year old LeBron is still generally eclipsed by MJ. We get more than a foreboding of this from the final paragraph of the essay on him written by Jon Greenberg:
“When it comes to ranking players, no one has next. Jordan will forever be at the top, the Michael Jordan of being Michael Jordan, the greatest there ever was, the greatest there ever will be.”
This immediately precedes Hollinger’s treatise on GOAT Points—where, as of 2004, James already outpoints Jordan, 856.7 to 750.2. (Jabbar has 660.1.)
Hollinger acknowledges: “… GOAT Points don’t really know what to do with Dennis Rodman, either, or how to handle cases of extreme longevity (Karl Malone, John Stockton, or what to do about Michael Jordan skipping two years of his prime and then retiring at 35).
“… What it can do, at least, is set the stage for the discussion. Maybe I weighted some stuff too highly and other things not highly enough; surely there are ways this can be improved in the coming years, especially if we get better historical advanced stats.”
If you ask me, what continues to favor MJ is his romance of history, inclusive of his first retirement and announcement of his return after a stint at professional baseball, with those two periods climaxing with two dramatic 3-peats with the Bulls.
That, and the innate gazelle grace, splendor, and cut-throat determination of his game, will continue to outpoint my other idol LBJ in the memory of majority of hoopdom’s adherents. Never mind the aficionados who didn’t really live through much of it but just rely, like most present-day digital warriors, on video excerpts and bandwagon opinions.
For now, I’ll go with this book’s consensus on the Greatest of All Time.
