This needs to be stated though. When MJ came back, and his explosion wasn't the same. And he was forced to played more below the rim, at the age of 34 years old.
He virtually became a mid to high post player, and was still the greatest in the game. I think that validates how dynamic and versatile he was. If anything, his athleticism kinda makes him under appreciated...
I just found it impressive when you took away his explosion he was still the GOAT.
Very true, but also worth noting that he was 31 when he came back and some of his leaping ability/explosion was still there. I felt like by his age 34 season (his last championship) you were starting to see serious deterioration in his skills as compared to his peak seasons, e.g. during his first threepeat. His efficiency percentages by that point were looking more like Kobe Bryant, and he was becoming heavily dependent on the refs (averaging 9-10 FTAs per game while shooting in the 45% range from the field and very poorly from 3). I feel like by that year you could make a decent argument that he was no longer the best player in the league, although he was obviously in the top few.
He was an incredibly shrewd and canny player but his game was somewhat dependent on athleticism. Not really a knock as that is true for all NBA players. It just goes to show that no one beats time.