There are things that detract from the GOAT case for every player, it's just a matter of who is the more or less GOAT-like player. MJ passes the most tests but there's no perfection here when you consider era and support. (I wonder how much Chicago being a larger market and Cleveland being a smaller one have anything to do with MJ's better support situation 7 seasons in than Bron's in '10.) I'd give the strongest consideration for Bron for GOAT if there weren't visual evidence of suboptimal intangibles in his case, where intangibles are those that I would prefer in a Russell or Tim (whatever the era adjustments and relative athleticism & skill). Bron gets a considerable boost for era considerations, 4 Finals MVPs in this era is about the best we might expect from a player, or perhaps ever again.
I'd have him as my all-time starting small forward ahead of Gelato Larry. The rest of my starting 5 are MJ and then Russell Tim Bron in some order then Magic I guess. (Magic's achievements - through age 31 - might put him even higher, not sure.)
I'd take 3 Finals MVPs as a good basis for "automatic" top-10 status, and it puts you maybe in the top-5 discussion automatically. Even Shaq I guess, although I've no idea who'd he displace, maybe he'd tie someone for 5th? To be in the starting 5 he'd have to displace Russell and I don't see that happening
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