Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the GOAT of the NBA. Although the six-time NBA champion hung up his sneakers for good in 2003, fans have never stopped imagining the endless what-if scenarios surrounding the legend and how he might still tower over the modern game.
One such debate resurfaced during a recent episode of the “Game Over Podcast,” where Rich Paul and Max Kellerman revisited the idea of Jordan continuing to deliver extraordinary performances if he were playing in today’s era.
Rich Paul and Max Kellerman Debate Michael Jordan’s Potential in Today’s NBA
The conversation started when Paul asked Kellerman which former NBA players he thought would thrive in the modern game. Kellerman did not ease into his answer.
“Michael Jordan in today’s game would average a 40-point triple-double, Rich,” Kellerman said.
Paul was not buying it, saying, “Now you’re out of your mind.”
Kellerman had a framework for his argument, though. He pointed to Jordan’s 1988-89 season, the one year the Bulls used him as a true primary ball handler, when he averaged 32.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 8.0 assists while shooting 53.8% from the field. His usage rate that season was already well ahead of his peers.
Kellerman’s case was straightforward. He took that as a baseline, applied today’s higher usage rates for primary scorers, factored in modern spacing and the elimination of hand-checking rules, and the numbers climb significantly.
He also argued that Jordan’s 3-point shooting, which sat at 32.7% for his career, would be closer to 37% or even 40% in today’s game, given how much emphasis players place on that part of their development now.
Rich Paul and Max Kellerman disagree on how MJ would do in the modern era 👀
Max: “MJ would average a 40 point triple double today.”
Rich: “These kids today they not bowing down to nobody. They not just gonna sit around and let you shoot every shot.”
(via Game Over, h/t… pic.twitter.com/Cy4a1jHxTS
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 4, 2026
Paul pushed back on the 3-point angle immediately.
“He was a boring jump-shooter. Why would you talk about his outside shooting?” Paul said.
But his bigger argument had nothing to do with Jordan’s skill set. It had everything to do with the culture of today’s NBA.
“You’re still missing a major point. You’re basing this as if people still consider the pecking order. These kids today are not bowing down to anybody. They’re not just gonna sit around and let you shoot every shot,” Paul said. “In today’s NBA, guys are coming in, and they’re not caring as much as you think about who you are and what you did. Because in their mind, I’m the guy too.”
Paul did not dismiss Jordan’s greatness. He acknowledged that a 40-point average was plausible. The triple-double part was where he drew the line.
He also took a subtle but pointed shot at the idea that Jordan himself would even entertain these comparisons.
“Sometimes people say things. MJ is my guy, and we have a great relationship. And I never ask him these things because whatever. But I do believe that sometimes people say things that even he doesn’t believe,” Paul said.
Kellerman’s counter was logical. The numbers from Jordan’s one true point guard season essentially already touch a triple-double. Adjust for modern spacing, a higher usage rate, no hand-checking, and an improved three-point focus, and 32-8-8 does not feel that far from 40-10-10 on paper. But still, that debate has no clear answer.
