The GOAT Model

Created by LJ Ballenger

Credit: Andrew D. Bernstein

The never ending “GOAT” debate, and ranking all-time players in general, is and will continue to be a discussion basketball fans may never fully agree upon. This is expected considering most arguments have bias towards certain players and eras, and it’s hard to agree on what is important and what is not.

The GOAT Model was created to bring structure to these debates. Instead of focusing on just accomplishments, raw stats, or narratives alone, it uses a blend of specific categories to break down a players greatness, without having one factor overpower the rest.

The goal isn’t to just get a “set and stone” answer to who the greatest players of all time are, but also to have a foundation to know why and where a player ranks, and how to rank current players and those to come.

The GOAT Model uses 23 categories to evaluate players. These categories include measurable things like awards and achievements, as well as career stats and advanced metrics, and a small number of subjective categories to give context to players; to show their on court presence, dominance, and overall impact on the game. The following categories were picked to create a transparent, and adaptable system to celebrate basketball history. Numerical totals from the categories determine the final rankings and each players, which will be referred to as GOAT Score.

Click here for