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With college basketball (and all sports) either cancelled or postponed at the moment because of the worldwide pandemic, it’s led to plenty of free time for fans to debate a bunch of topics. We’ve seen some media outlets try to find the best duos in NBA history, others try to relive the glory of March Madness with memories of past tournaments, and, of course, ESPN putting together a vote to try and find the greatest college basketball player in history.
After narrowing down the field to 64 college hoops players over the past few decades, ESPN landed on a winner β Michael Jordan, who played three seasons for the North Carolina Tar Heels in the early-to-mid ’80s.
And the winner of the college basketball GOAT bracket is … Michael Jordan π
(π @CapitalOne) pic.twitter.com/geAkBjrM9x
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 1, 2020
Seems pretty legit, right? After all, Jordan went from “Mike” to “Michael” during this three seasons in Chapel Hill, not only winning a national title with the Heels in 1982 β in which he hit the clutch, game-winning shot against Georgetown β but he also won National Player of the Year honors during his final season in college before leaving for the NBA. But it was the NBA where MJ really made his legacy, and why he’s earned the title as the GOAT, not while he was a teenager.
For that reason, ESPN’s poll for the greatest college basketball player is so wrong. Fans totally bricked their shot on this one. Jordan isn’t even close to being the top collegiate player ever β and, shockingly, it’s not even close. Hell, he would probably tell you the same thing, knowing that his college career couldn’t hold a flame to other names like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton and Breanna Stewart from the women’s side, among others.
While the ESPN poll was voted on by fans, it’s not their fault that Jordan won the damn thing; that’s what happens when you put the power into the hands of biased people who don’t really know any better β I’ll save the political jokes for another day. And since college hoops fans were legit shocked to see Jordan’s name as the winner in the ESPN poll, Twitter just couldn’t help put voice their frustration.
If you think Michael Jordan is the best college basketball player ever youβre an asshole
— GraΓ±t Dula (@gdula16) April 1, 2020
If I had to name the 50 greatest college basketball players ever Michael Jordan would not be in it…
— jim iuorio (@jimiuorio) March 31, 2020
Michael Jordan in no way shape or form is the greatest college basketball player ever or even top 5.
That ESPN fan vote is nonsense.
— Black Dada Nihilismus (@Deuce1042) March 31, 2020
Joakim Noah might have been a better college player than Michael Jordan
— spender (@sspenderr) April 1, 2020
https://twitter.com/murphdogg29/status/1245434341888528394?s=20
Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, who followed ACC basketball would have college Michael Jordan seeded ahead of college David Thompson … and that would include Michael Jordan himself. https://t.co/HeXUol3rwp
— Joe Posnanski (@JPosnanski) March 25, 2020
This is absolutely nonsense. There is NO GREATER college basketball player than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar @kaj33. Michael Jordan? Give me a break. Fans today have no clue what the hell they are talking about it. https://t.co/yvTYr7nSwQ
— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) April 1, 2020
My reaction to Michael Jordan winning the vote for greatest college basketball player of all time on ESPN pic.twitter.com/xgBW4sPw9C
— Adam Blecher (@BearcatfanAdam) April 1, 2020
https://twitter.com/The_Pursuit/status/1245467622709354496?s=20
So, uh, yeah, there aren’t too many people who can believe what they’re seeing with this Jordan shit, guys. For all the college basketball players out there, there’s no way in hell MJ should be considered the greatest ever. Even his own buddy, Magic Johnson, weighed in on the result of the fan vote, suggesting Abdul-Jabbar was clearly robbed. Just look at the stats Magic dropped.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar/Lew Alcindor is decisively the undisputed GOAT of college basketball! During his 3 years at UCLA he led the Bruins to an 88-2 record, won 3 National Championships, was 3X National College Player of the Year, AND was 3X NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player. pic.twitter.com/94QzdU6N0V
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 1, 2020
There’s no denying Michael Jordan is the best baller to ever live, but he didn’t achieve that until he won six titles in the NBA and redefined the game. He was a great player in college, sure, but not the greatest β and not better than half of the field ESPN chose to participate in the poll. It’s almost as if fans just named the first great basketball player to come to mind when voting, and, because of his popularity over the past three decades, Jordan ended up coming out on top. What a damn shame.
MJ seems to always win debates like this, but this is one he shouldn’t have even been in the conversation for. Funny how some of the same fans who probably voted are so pissed off with the result. Just goes to show β go vote to make an impact, and don’t leave it up to morons to decide.