Today, many people consider Michael Jordan to be the greatest NBA player of all time, but there is debate about when he took the leap and became the GOAT.
Gilbert Arenas feels that Jordan was the best player to ever suit up before he won his first championship ring.
“People don’t realize that he got the Jordan logo in 1988. They took the wings off and said you got Jordan. That whole campaign is considered the greatest individual year anybody could have had. That’s when he became the best player ever. There was no ring. The rings is just what they get to use now. Six rings. It was just the way he carried what we have now. Solo mission. It’s hard to beat solo missions with stats,” Arenas said.
Gilbert Arenas says Michael Jordan was the ‘best player ever’ before he won a ring:
“People don't realize that he got the Jordan logo in 1988. They took the wings off and said you got Jordan. That whole campaign is considered the greatest individual year anybody could have had.… pic.twitter.com/APFLZzv5NE
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 2, 2025
1987-88 was a transcendent season for Jordan.
He led the league in points and became MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and All-Star, and was All-Defense too.
No, he didn’t claim a championship that year, but he proved that he was the best in the game.
For Arenas and many others, this was the point when Jordan reached another level.
After that, there was no looking back.
He would lead the league in points for the next five seasons and won his first title just a couple of years later.
Today, millions of people feel that Jordan is the greatest of all time, and they often point to the six titles and his larger-than-life impact on the business of the NBA.
But Arenas says that Jordan became the best years before the Chicago Bulls hung their first championship banner.
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