LeBron James: Who Is REALLY Better Than Him in the NBA?

Over the years I have been discussing sports and in my pursuit of a career as a sports journalist/reporter, I have grown to be objective when it comes to discussing any topic. No matter how much I enjoy watching a player, I can just as soon give blame as I give credit. But I have learned that is extremely hard for most in some cases, like LeBron James.

LeBron James is far and away the best NATURAL talent we have ever seen in the NBA's history. He also has the skill to back up all the hype that has been heaped upon him.

However, given his shortcomings in the NBA Finals and his lack of buzzer beating shots, he is still looked down upon by basketball fans everywhere.

LeBron is no doubt one of the greatest players to ever step on a basketball court, and his career is far from over. His numbers and accolades speak for themselves. Two-time MVP, seven-time All-Star, two-time All-Star MVP, a regular on the All-Defensive Team, and a scoring champion. If you remove the name from these accolades, you would think this player was a fan favorite and without a doubt, one of the best there is. Once it becomes known that the player is LeBron James, suddenly those facts don't become good enough.

The only player I feel can have an argument with LeBron for the best player is Kobe Bryant. Both have been extremely durable and both have the stats. The only difference and the underlying factor is Kobe has the titles that LeBron is chasing. Over the past few days, I have seen people say that they would take players like Derrick Rose, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant over LeBron, and all I could do was laugh. All three of those players share one common trait: they are unbelievably great scorers. Even though not one of them has a higher per game average than LeBron. Without scoring, I wonder if any of these guys would be able to dominate a game in another facet.

Derrick Rose had an unbelievable season last year, leading the Chicago Bulls to the best record in the NBA, on his way to winning his first MVP award. He ran through the Pacers and Hawks before meeting up with LeBron in the Eastern Conference finals. Rose played up to his standards in the first three quarters of every game, but in the fourth quarter, LeBron took the task of guarding him and thoroughly took him out of his game and took the Bulls out of theirs.

Carmelo Anthony is one of the best scorers in the league, filled with enough offensive moves to destroy the confidence of any defender. He has also had some success against LeBron in head-to-head matchups, but in terms of individual and team success, there has never been a comparison. Anthony is nothing more than a scorer, decent rebounder and an All-Star. He'll never be a top-notch defender and will never lead his team over the top in the playoffs. He has been to the playoffs every season, but only been out of the first round once, and people would take him over LeBron? Please.

Kevin Durant, though an intriguing player to me, still has a long way to go in my opinion. Great scorer, good rebounder, and has a world full of potential. He is leading a great young team and will be a threat for years. But as soon as people say Durant is great in the fourth quarter, I will always remind them that he lost a 15-point fourth-quarter lead against the Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals and ultimately the series.

Whether you love him or hate him, LeBron James is the best all-around player in the NBA and has proven to be a winner in both the regular season and playoffs. He has moments where he has stood tall and moments where he has fallen flat, like every other player in the NBA. No reason for him to be held at a higher standard, especially when others say these players are "better." Will he win a championship and exorcise these demons? Who knows? That remains to be seen.