11-0 in the finals with a finals appearance in 11 of 13 seasons and 5 league MVP nods sounds more like a GOAT because that level of consistency, dominance will be difficult to top in any sport (if I bought into the GOAT thing).
Jordan is tied like 9th or 10th for most championship rings. Russell, Jabbar, Havlicek (others I don't recall) have as many if not more rings then Jordan. Until the league (any) say this is the criteria for GOAT not the media and fans it is your opinion that equates to GOAT
I regress from GOAT lure to say nice win for the Cavs showed some heart...
I believe Neal136 did a phenomenal job describing MJ's legacy and place in the game. However, for a guy who doesn't like to have GOAT conversations, you at least bring compelling names to the table. I'll go over the 3 names you dropped. There are worthy players you can bring into the discussion (not Horry like jedi suggests) but the 3 players you targeted are certainly considered some of the very best.
Let's go to who I feel is the biggest claim to the crown myself...Bill Russel. Russel was a defensive FORCE and rebounding machine like almost no other. That said, he was hardly the focal point of the Celts offense. He averaged a respectable 15 points a game but it's safe to say his biggest impact on the floor was on the defensive side of the ball and rebounding. He won 11 Championships in an era when there were 8 teams in the league and it's obvious to say that the overwhelming talent of that era was on those championship Celtics teams. Just look at all the HOFers on those Celtics team. Russel played with no less than 9 HOFers while wearing a Celts uniform. There is NO QUESTION MJ was the MAN on his Bulls team. He was without a doubt the driving force of his Championship teams in EVERY Finals appearance he made and throughout his Bulls career. That is made clear by the fact that no other Bulls player won Finals MVP during their championship run or league MVP. Anyone who watched MJ's performances during the regular season, playoffs, and Finals knows this. I'll end the conversation with Russel on this note. Russel has repeatedly said publicly that MJ is the GOAT. For a man with 11 rings and playing in the era where he played with others that are considered LEGENDS of the game (most of them were on his team), that's truly a special statement. It certainly means more than some of the clueless peeps that troll these boards.
On to 8 time NBA champ Havlicek. Well, he played in the same era as Russel and even on Russel's team for just about all his titles. He certainly had a higher scoring average and was more of a focal part of the Celtics offense than Russel. He was voted Finals MVP once. He has never won league MVP and averaged just over 20 points a game for his career. He's certainly a great player, but MJ's stats overall are leaps and bounds better than Havlicek's. As far as impact to his team and the league history, this one really isn't close. Besides, Russel played with all the great HOF Celts on his team in that era and he has no problem saying MJ is the best he's ever seen play the game. That's more than good enough for me.
Lastly we have Jabbar. He, like Russel, is a phenomenal player. His longevity and accomplishments in the league are well documented. He lead his Bucks team to a title back in '71 and was named Finals MVP. However, it's no secret that a majority of his success came with the Lakers since he won 5 titles there. The problem is, there's a STRONG argument that could be made for Magic being the man and leader of those great Lakers teams. Magic joined the Lakers in '80. From '75-'79, Jabbar wasn't able to lead his Lakers to a championship. When Magic arrives, Jabbar wins his 1st title with the Lakers, and as a rookie Magic is named MVP of the Finals. Jabbar would go on to win 4 more titles in LA but only win one Finals MVP ('85) during that Lakers team dynasty. Magic on the other hand goes on to be named Finals MVP 3 times during his time with the Lakers. While Jabbar amassed a TON of stats because he was a great player and played so long in the league, MJ's playoff stats and overall PER are better. Look, I know it's been stated before but 6 times Finals MVP leaves no doubt how much MJ meant to the Bulls and what role he played in winning 6 titles. With Jabbar, it can be said he wasn't even the most important player on those Lakers teams. I personally give that nod to Magic.
As for MJ, Neal136 did a fantastic job summing up his impact on the league in his post. There's no point in repeating it. However, I will add this about MJ. His regular season scoring average is 30.1 a game. His playoff scoring average is 33.4 points a game and his Finals average was 33.6 points a game. This is a man who clearly elevated his game when the stakes were higher. His PER allows him to be statistically compared to the greats of the game and NO ONE tops him. You don't have to believe Jordan is the GOAT. However, all the important numbers clearly point to it.
