NBA legend Pat Riley weighs in on G.O.A.T debate

Wishy-washy Pat Riley has weighed in again on the G.O.A.T debate, which typically includes players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James and Michael Jordan. His take this time?

"I always said that Kareem was the greatest player of all time because of his longevity," said Riley. 

Which isn't true.

In 2017, Riley declared that Magic Johnson is the greatest player of all time. 

But we digress.

As a coach and executive, Riley witnessed Abdul-Jabbar and James — the top two scorers in NBA history — in their prime.

In a candid interview with ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, he expanded on why he believes Abdul-Jabbar is the greatest.

"Kareem was unique from the standpoint that he could play at a high level, play 80 games a year ... He just developed this mental toughness along with a great physical body to really last forever," he said. 

Riley mentioned that Jordan, the consensus greatest basketball player of all time, also had remarkable durability, but Riley appears to give the edge to Abdul-Jabbar thanks to the era in which he played.

"I put Michael in there too... But Kareem was the greatest at that time because of his longevity," Riley said.

James is playing in the era of load management, which Riley noted not to be dismissive toward James's accomplishments but to highlight how remarkable they are.

"It's about rest, it's about taking care of everybody, it's about making you don't do too much or you might get hurt... So for LeBron to be able to play during this era, from 2003 to now... it just shows how great he is as a player."

Abdul-Jabbar, 75, has held the scoring record since he recorded his 31,420th point on April 5, 1984, 11 days before his 37th birthday.

After setting the all-time scoring record, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 22 points per game during the 1984-85 season and 23.4 points per game in the 1985-86 campaign.

His legendary skyhook remains perhaps the most unguardable shot in NBA history.