Along with all the excitement and entertainment that the NBA Playoffs bring each spring comes debate, and these topics span far longer than just the games we watch.

Will the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics be the dominating forces of the Eastern Conference for the next decade? Is Paul George staying in Oklahoma City or packing his bags? And has Brad Stevens surpassed Gregg Popovich as the best coach in the league?

These are just a few examples of what questions have NBA fans and media buzzing. The topics come and go, but the debates never end.

Amongst the recurring inflow and outflow of discussions that come with the NBA Playoffs, there seems to be one question that has remained prevalent throughout the years, and its talk only escalates with time. That question is, who is the greatest player of all time (GOAT)? LeBron James or Michael Jordan?

The subject features two opposites. The current James vs. the former Jordan. A stat-stuffing human specimen against an ultra-competitor with six championship rings. What connects the two players is their undoubted greatness.

On April 16, 2003, Jordan announced his official retirement from the NBA with what still is one of, if not the most impressive careers the game has ever seen. Six NBA titles in a span of eight seasons (it could have been more had he not decided to pursue baseball for a two-year stretch). A 14-time NBA All-Star and five-time league MVP. For a long time after his retirement, Jordan had practically been the unanimous pick as the greatest player ever.

Enter James, a wonder boy with limitless hype who entered the league as a number one overall pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers only two months after Jordan’s retirement. Since then, he’s won three NBA titles, four MVP awards, and has made 14 All-Star games. For the most part, “King James” has dominated the NBA ever since being drafted as an 18-year old. And, his resume only gets better and better with time.

So what keeps this discussion from leaving our minds like the rest? Well, James’s continued incredible play keeps the topic relevant. And, it seems as though neither side of the argument has an irrefutable stance. LeBron enthusiasts point out his seven (and possibly eight after this year) straight appearances in the NBA Finals, but Jordan defenders come right back with James’s shoddy 3-5 record in the Finals. Jordan believers will reference his six championship rings in an eight year stretch, but LeBron fans will immediately respond with James’s longer span of dominance and lack of team talent at the beginning of his career.

The point is, every argument made for either player has an opposing one. And whatever argument is made for either player, it won’t be swaying people from one side to the other. One stat on playoff game-winners or number of flops won’t have an effect on what the ignorant fans of each player think. The only thing that’ll end things for good is LeBron surpassing Jordan in the ring category, which is unrealistic considering he’s only half way there 15 years into his career.

Both players have skill sets and resumes worthy of greatest of all time consideration, no one is denying that. Who people choose over the other simply comes down to what you value in the greatness of a basketball player. Anyone who calls Jordan the GOAT puts an emphasis on winning championships, because by the end of James’s career, it may be one of the only statistical categories where Jordan has the edge. Believers in James as the GOAT, however, value a player’s entire skill set rather than just results.