Brandon Miller explains why Paul George is his NBA GOAT over Michael Jordan and LeBron James

Scott Rafferty

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Brandon Miller explains why Paul George is his NBA GOAT over Michael Jordan and LeBron James image

NBA Draft prospect Brandon Miller has thrown a new name into the "greatest of all time" debate.

Ahead of Thursday's draft, Miller was asked if he thinks the GOAT debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James is "overdone." Miller has a unique perspective on the matter. He worked out in front of Jordan this week as the Hornets figure out which player to select with the No. 2 pick, and he grew up watching James.

Surprisingly, Miller doesn't think Jordan or James is the NBA's GOAT. His GOAT is currently playing in Los Angeles, but it's not James.

"I actually don't think LeBron is the GOAT of basketball," Miller said. "I think my GOAT of basketball is Paul George. I grew up watching him, so it was never just LeBron."

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While he doesn't have nearly the same resume as Jordan and James, you might not be surprised to hear George's name come out of Miller's mouth because the Clippers star has been a popular comparison for him in the lead-up to the draft.

Miller and George are both tall, lanky wings and knockdown 3-point shooters. Like George, Miller has the tools to make a two-way impact.

"It's impossible to watch Miller's game and not see a little bit of Brandon Ingram in his natural ability to score from all over the floor with that size and length," The Sporting News' draft expert Kyle Irving wrote. "However, it would be easy to believe if he watches a lot of George because his shooting form looks like a carbon copy of the Clippers All-Star wing."

Others have said something similar.

Thus, it's easy to see why Miller would admire George. Still, his opinion on the GOAT debate qualifies as an interesting one.

Or, maybe it is just a classic case of semantics. Miller seemed to clarify on draft night in an interview with Taylor Rooks that he believes James is the best player in the league; George just happens to be his favorite player. 

"I grew up watching Paul George, not LeBron," Miller explained. "I'd never knock LeBron. LeBron is definitely the best in the league but I’m a Paul George fan. I thought I made it clear that my GOAT was Paul George."

That certainly makes a lot of sense. And perhaps if Miller had used the "favorite player" terminology from the outset, this whole debate could have been avoided.

Scott Rafferty

Scott Rafferty Photo

 

Scott Rafferty is an experienced NBA journalist who first started writing for The Sporting News in 2017. There are few things he appreciates more than a Nikola Jokic no-look pass, Klay Thompson heat check or Giannis Antetokounmpo eurostep. He's a member of the NBA Global team.