Kendrick Perkins, JR Smith Believe LeBron Could Pass Michael Jordan in Greatness

The Michael Jordan-LeBron James debate won't be settled until at least after James' playing days are over. Even so, basketball fans go back and forth on the matter right now. Some may say James will never catch Jordan, but according to a couple of James' Cleveland Cavaliers teammates, the debate is starting to get interesting.

In fact, they think James may be on the verge of topping Jordan as the "Greatest of All Time."

Both J.R. Smith (New York Knicks) and Kendrick Perkins (Oklahoma City Thunder) started the 2014-15 season with teams other than the Cavaliers. However, James has already won them both over, despite the fact they have played less than one full season with the four-time NBA MVP.

Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group caught up with the Cavaliers after they took a 3-0 series lead over the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals. One of the topics: LeBron versus Jordan.

Smith thinks James should at least be in the same conversation as Jordan.

"That's one hell of a debate," Smith said, per Haynes. "Honestly, in my opinion, if it's not Jordan, then it's him. It used to be no question. It was a landslide. It was Jordan. Now, you have to consider my boy."

Perkins believes there is only one thing keeping James, a two-time champion, from being named the G.O.A.T. Actually, two things:

"

The only thing that he's missing is a couple more championships and then it's a wrap. Right now we have arguably the best player to ever play the game. I'm just saying man. I'm not taking anything away from Jordan, but all he's missing is titles. A couple of more titles and that's it.

"

Perkins elaborated on what makes his superstar teammate so special:

"

Just think about it, truthfully, if he wanted to, he could win the MVP every year. Think about that. He averaged 25 [points], 6 [rebounds] and 7 [assists]. That's absurd, and people are like "he had a down year." That's crazy talk. When it's all said and done, he'll probably be the best the game has seen.

"

Again, this debate won't be settled until James joins Jordan in retirement. Even then, it may never reach a consensus. If Smith and Perkins really want to see their teammate surpass Jordan in the debate, they could certainly do what they can to help James win a championship this year—and in seasons to come.

[Northeast Ohio Media Group]