Clash of the Titans: Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James for MVP

We're about 20 games away from the playoffs, and now is a good time to start talking MVP.

I believe that the MVP race is down to two contenders: Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

These two players have separated themselves from the rest of the field and are playing at such a higher level than anybody else. Both of them are in a different stratosphere of basketball performance.

So let's compare the performance of both Kobe and LeBron. We'll start with LeBron.

LeBron has solidified himself as a genuine superstar. His numbers this season are just ridiculous: 31 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists every game.

These numbers haven't been seen since Oscar Robertson averaged a triple-double in the 1961-62 season when he averaged 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists a game.

Of course these are individual stats, but let's review what James has done for his Cleveland Cavaliers.

He kept the Cleveland's head above water at the beginning of the season when Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic were out of the lineup, and after a slow start, the Cavs are 35-27 and 4th in the East.

He has led his team to two huge wins against Boston and one against the West-leading Spurs, and let's not forget that he's 2-0 against Kobe and the Lakers this season.

The thing that will hurt LeBron in this MVP battle is that he's playing in the weak Eastern Conference, and his team is only eight games above .500.

Kobe is in his 11th NBA season, and after being arguably the best all-around player in the NBA for the past three or four years, he has yet to win one MVP award.

While Kobe's numbers are not as awe-inspiring as LeBron's, they are solid: 28 points, six rebounds, and five assists per game.

Kobe's Lakers are currently 43-18 and sit only percentage points behind the Spurs for number one in the West.

How many people thought that would happen after the drama surrounding Kobe and the Lakers in the offseason? Kobe has become even more of a leader this year, and has rediscovered his suffocating defense of past years.

He has led his team to a better record than the Cavs in a much more difficult conference, and he has incorporated Pau Gasol without losing a step in the standings. 

Kobe and LeBron still have another quarter of a season to improve their MVP resumes, but at this point I believe Kobe has a narrow edge over LeBron for the MVP.