As Long as LeBron James Is in the NBA, Is Parity Possible?

LeBron James is the best basketball player on the planet. It's virtually impossible not to crown James as the NBA's biggest difference-maker, as he just won his third MVP award in four years. 

Throughout the regular season, James dazzled the basketball world in an unprecedented manner.

Parity isn't completely dead with LeBron in his prime, but it's darn close. Only a handful of teams employ a wing player who can even challenge James, which is a major advantage for LBJ's team. 

Add LeBron to a horrible team (like the Orlando Magic), and they would instantly become playoff contenders. That's how exceptional James is. His presence would make a 20-win team a legitimate threat, something that can only be said about a handful of players. 

The NBA is loaded with amazing players, but James is clearly superior in comparison to the rest of the field. This season, LBJ averaged 26.8 points, 8 rebounds and 7.3 assists on 56.5 percent shooting from the floor, as he led the Miami Heat to the best record in the league. 

Putting that in perspective, James finished ranked fourth in scoring, tied for 11th in assists (although he's the only non-point guard in the top 20), fifth in shooting percentage and 21st in rebounding. By that type of varied production alone, it's hard to conjure an argument against James' utter dominance. 

Sure, Kevin Durant is a better shooter than LeBron, but would any GM choose Durant over LeBron if the goal was to win a title this season?

That's unlikely in my mind, as LBJ is arguably the league's best perimeter defender, can defend guards and forwards well and creates open looks for his teammates at will. 

James' versatility makes him a nightmare to guard, as he is equally comfortable on the perimeter handling the ball or trying to create open looks by battling in the post.  

At 6'8" and 250 pounds, James has the size to dominate in the post, a skill he worked on tirelessly after losing in the 2011 NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks. 

While the Heat did fall in the Finals once with their "Big Three," they are currently favorites to win their second straight NBA title.  

Although James might be the best athlete in league history, it's his mental strength that has propelled him to develop into the player he is today. 

After suffering through being the most criticized athlete in the country for years, James found a way to overcome the negative opinions being hurled his way. This was obvious during the 2012 postseason, as LeBron willed Miami to victory on multiple occasions with his monster 45-point and 15-rebound game against the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. 

James' PER was off the charts this season, as he finished with a 31.67, which was three points more than Kevin Durant, who was second. This wasn't the first time LeBron has led the league in PER, though. 

In fact, James led the league in PER in each of the past six seasons, posting a total above 30 in four of those six campaigns. 

The 31.67 PER James put up this season is the seventh-best total ever according to Basketball-Reference.com. The only two players ever to post a higher total in a single season are Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain, which speaks to James' dominance. 

Since James took his talents to South Beach, the Heat have compiled a regular season record of 170-60, the best total in the league over the span of three years. It should be noted that the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season consisted of just 66 games, which means Miami would have racked up even more victories. 

Miami's regular season record in the James era is the best in the league over that time period, with the San Antonio Spurs' record of 169-61 finishing a close second. 

The Heat have been dominant during the postseason too, as they have posted a 42-17 record in the tournament over the past three seasons. The play of James has been the biggest factor in Miami's postseason success, as LBJ somehow finds a way to raise his level of play to another level once the games really count. 

Other major sports require more competitors, which in turn diminishes the impact of individual players. In the NBA, however, star players can single-handedly change the tides of an entire series. 

In an elimination game, Erik Spoelstra could play James for 44 minutes and expect a consistent level of production throughout. By comparison, very few players in other sports can play over 90 percent of the game while drastically affecting the contest at both ends. 

The nature of the sport alone grants James the opportunity to completely dominate the entire game, and it's a privilege he has exercised in big playoff games recently. 

At 28 years of age, there is no reason to believe that James' skills will diminish anytime in the near future. Who says he can't keep up this level of play for another five years?

It's safe to say that the NBA has not seen a player like LeBron before, so it's hard to predict how the rest of his career will unfold. 

One thing is certain though: James is well on his way to being considered one of the greatest players in NBA history. 

Beating LeBron is possible, but only a few teams have the personnel to get the job done. The Pacers have given the Heat all they can handle but have struggled in situations when their game plan is not being executed well. 

As long as James is with the Heat, opponents with productive post players will be able to pose them a challenge. Miami is committed to playing small-ball, with LeBron's versatility being the primary reason for that play style. 

If the Heat were going to go down with LeBron, they would likely have to outplay the world's best player at his best. During his final postseason with the Cleveland Cavaliers, James averaged 29.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game. 

It's tough to imagine a team losing in six games when they have a player dominating like that, but that's what happened in James' final series with the Cavs. 

As long as James is at his peak, parity will be on the verge of extinction. It will likely take a perfect storm to eliminate the Heat, but anything is possible if they run into the wrong team at the wrong moment.