A veteran NBA reporter who covered Michael Jordan and LeBron James gave a simple explanation for why MJ is the GOAT, and it has nothing to do with rings

• Sunday's premiere of "The Last Dance" — ESPN's 10-part documentary series about Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls — has reignited the Jordan versus LeBron James greatest-of-all-time debate.
• Veteran NBA reporter Jackie MacMullan, who has covered both His Airness and King James throughout her esteemed career, said there are a few simple reasons why Jordan still sits on the NBA throne.
• MacMullan said that Jordan put on a show — and packed his stat line — every time he stepped on the court in addition to authoring some of the most iconic shots in NBA history.
• The longtime Boston Globe writer also cited Jordan's intensely competitive nature as setting him ahead of the pack.
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Sunday's premiere of "The Last Dance" — ESPN's 10-part documentary series about Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls — has reignited the Jordan versus LeBron James GOAT debate.

But one big-name sports reporter — who has covered both His Airness and King James throughout her esteemed career — says there are a few key reasons why Jordan still sits on the NBA throne, none of which have to do with championship rings.

In a recent interview with Zach Lowe on his podcast "The Lowe Post," veteran NBA reporter Jackie MacMullan reaffirmed her belief that Jordan remains the greatest player in NBA history.

"I love reliving extraordinary careers and there was none more extraordinary that I've covered than Michael Jordan," MacMullan said.

The ESPN columnist and widely-respected NBA analyst said that Jordan's intensely competitive nature, his ability to put on a show, and pack his stat line every time he stepped on the court help set him ahead of the pack of basketball icons.

His collection of some of the most iconic shots in NBA history doesn't hurt his cause either.

"Jordan was always different than everybody," MacMullan said. "Even when he was young."

In an ESPN story published in the lead up to "The Last Dance" release, MacMullan wrote that having won at least one championship is crucial to a player's consideration in the GOAT conversation. Additionally, she said "game winners in clutch playoff situations also carry weight with me."

From "The Shot" over Craig Ehlo during the Bulls' first round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1989 to his strip-turned-jumper in the final seconds of Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, nobody has a portfolio of game-winners like Jordan's.

"Michael could fly. He really could," MacMullan said. "He could hang in the air forever. I was there when he hit that shot over Craig Ehlo ... He hit the shot and then just hung in the air for what seemed like hours."

Part of that "clutch" gene is tied to Jordan's fierce and well-documented competitive spirit. The six-time NBA champion was notorious for pushing his teammates to the limit and doing whatever necessary to win.

MacMullan noted that even amongst the most dominant athletes she's ever covered, only a select few were as relentless in their pursuit of victory as Jordan.

"I always equate him to [Larry] Bird in this regard because they were both ruthless competitors," MacMullan said. "I would throw Kobe [Bryant] into that mix as well. And I think not every elite, Hall of Fame player is like that. Those three guys in particular were to me."

Perhaps for this reason, Bird and Bryant also made MacMullan's list of NBA players who should be considered in the GOAT debate — which also includes Bill Russell, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, and Jerry West.

Still, of all those basketball icons, MacMullan insisted that "Michael Jordan remains the greatest player of all time in my mind."

"His six championships were won in two different phases of his career with rotating supporting casts," she wrote for ESPN. "MJ was a dominant offensive player who hit countless iconic game winners, but he was equally frightening on the defensive end.

"And he was a killer — the most ruthless competition the game has ever seen."

• Read more:
• Michael Jordan called his iconic 63-point playoff performance against the Celtics after losing a round of golf to Danny Ainge the day before
• Michael Jordan turned down partying with the 'traveling cocaine circus' Bulls as a rookie and may have saved his career
• Michael Jordan once walked into his opponents' locker room to warn them that 'it's gonna be a long f---ing night' before scoring 61 points
• Michael Jordan couldn't get into Dwyane Wade's NBA draft party because he refused to pay at the door

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