Come To Think Of It: Is LeBron James the Heir to MJ's Throne?

There are great basketball players, then there are the greatest ever.

LeBron James appears poised to have an opportunity to be the best ever when all is said and done.

I know what you're thinking—way to go out on a limb by picking King James. Ah, but it's not so obvious when you consider that there are two things working against James at this point in his career.

First, he is only 24 years old and has a long, long way to go.

Second, he has never won a title.

Let's face it, no matter how well a man plays the game of basketball, he will ultimately be judged by the number of titles he has won.

That may not be entirely fair, as he is reliant on his general manager to build a solid team around him, for no man, regardless of how great, can win it all by himself.

Witness the current greatest ever, Michael Jordan. In his first six seasons, the Bulls could not even sniff a title, despite having someone who is widely thought of as "The Best Ever."

That seems to be where James is at this point. But it may soon change, as his Cleveland Cavaliers, who routed the Boston Celtics today, have a legitimate opportunity to make some noise in the playoffs this year.

With the 31-point victory today, the Cavs are one win away from matching the     1985-86 Boston Celtics for the best home record in NBA history. They currently stand at 39-1 at the Quicken Loans Arena.

LeBron is currently in his sixth NBA season. At 6'8" and at least 250 lbs., James can play with an agility seldom seen in such a big man.

For his career, James is averaging 27.5 ppg., 7.0 rebounds, and 6.7 assists.

Among current contenders for Michael's throne, Kobe Bryant has the edge on James due to his championship rings. But consider this—LeBron is:

* One of three players in NBA history to average at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists in their rookie season. [3]
* One of five players in NBA history to average over 25 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in a season. [3]
* One of four players in NBA history to average at least 31 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a season. [3]
* One of two players in NBA history to average at least 27 points, six rebounds, and six assists for three consecutive seasons.
* One of three players in NBA history to record a triple-double in their playoff debut.
* Second place all-time for consecutive 20-point games to start a playoff career with 19.
* Most consecutive points scored for a team in a playoff game with 25 straight points.

All of this for man who won't reach his 25th birthday until December.

Perhaps Jordan will always remain the best player ever to lace them up. This is such a subjective "title," for one can argue that players such as Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell, among others, deserve to be in the conversation.

Regardless of how you look at this, LeBron has a golden chance to be in the conversation as well by the end of his career. Assuming he maintains good health and wins titles, both huge "ifs," he may well be the best ever when it's all said and done.

I recognize that it's way too soon to anoint anyone, but his nickname says it all. He's not "King James" for nothing, come to think of it.