I don't think MJ is the GOAT. No matter how you look at it, there is not a single category in which he is the #1.
Except for career points per game?
I'm not gonna look it up, but I'm pretty sure Wilt was better than MJ in this regard.
Jordan is slightly better. 30.12 to 30.07.
Fair enough. Do you guys believe MJ was a better scorer than Wilt? Cause I highly doubt it. I mean, the guy scored 100 points in one game. He finished the 1961/62 NBA season with an average of 50.4 points per game!
Different era, less teams, and he was a giant compared to most centers then. He just jumped over guys from a few feet out and dropped it in.
Jordan dunked on guys like Wilt.
First of all, the "different era" had teams packing it inside and focusing on bigs, making it harder for Wilt to score since he was focused on every single game. Secondly, less teams=more stacked teams, it's an argument FOR Wilt lol since he was up against better teams. Finally, you should look up at other great centers during Wilt's career before saying he "towered over guys". Here's a bonus: Jordan would get killed if Wilt ever tried fouling him ala the Pistons, much less dunk on him. I agree with you that Jordan is probably "better" at Wilt in scoring due to having a wider array of moves, but don't discredit the Big Dipper. If he had 6 rings (very much possible if Russell wasn't that clutch) he'd be the undisputed GOAT.
At the same time, Wilt was an absolute genetic freak. He was like a modern player playing against 50s and 60s teams. Yes, teams packed the paint, but the majority of defenders simply weren't in Wilt's class physically.
Athletes like Wilt and Russell were definitely the exception. It's like if you transported David Robinson back in time.
I believe I said look up at other great centers during Wilt's career. They were all freaks as well. It was not to the point where it was a one sided boxing match.
How many of those guys could have played in the modern NBA, without adjustment? Wilt, Russell, and who else?
Let's look at the big men on the other teams in the league.
Chicago: Walt Bellamy, 6'11", 215 pounds. Nobody else above 6'8" on the roster.
Syracuse: Red Kerr, 6'9", 230 pounds.
New York: Phil Jordon, 6'10", 205 pounds
LA: Jim Krebs, 6'8", 230 pounds
Cincinnati: Wayne Embry, 6'8", 240 pounds
Detroit: Walter Dukes, 7'0", 220 pounds
St. Louis: Clyde Lovellette, 6'9", 234 pounds
Compare that to Wilt: 7'1", 275 pounds
Yes, it indeed was a one-sided boxing match against most of the competition. Even the talented centers like Bellamy and Lovellette were giving up 4 inches and 40 pounds to Wilt. Again, it's the equivalent of dropping David Robinson into the 60s. He's not the best player of all-time (although he's great), but he sure would have looked like it in the 60s.
Credit Wilt: he is one of the very, very few players -- across all sports -- that you could drop into the modern era and he'd still be a dominant force. Instead of scoring 50+ points in a season, though, he'd probably be looking at 35, and instead of 100 points in a game he might be looking at 75.