Doc Rivers Says LeBron James Among Top-5 Players of All Time

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers believes Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James has already solidified himself as one of the top-five players in NBA history, even though he plays a different style of basketball than most of the marquee names from previous eras. 

William Lou of The Score passed along comments Rivers made about the subject Friday during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show. He thinks the accomplishments the 31-year-old Ohio native has accumulated put him right there in the conversation with the all-time greats.

"LeBron has a different game," Rivers said. "We're so used to seeing skill looking graceful. We're not used to skill looking so powerful. I think that rubs people wrong. But LeBron, statistically, championships-wise, he is one of the top five players to have ever played the game."

In addition, he told Patrick those who don't agree with his assessment now will probably view it differently in the future: "Players of the past are bigger than life to us, and it's almost impossible for us to ever move a current player in front of them."

James' trophy case is certainly jam-packed already. The 2003 first overall pick has won three NBA championships, winning Finals MVP in each of those title triumphs, been named the regular-season MVP four times and earned 12 All-Star selections.

He's also been picked for the All-NBA First Team 10 times and the All-Defensive First Team five times. And, while it's not directly related to his NBA resume, his legacy is helped by the fact he earned two Olympic gold medals with the United States national team.

In August, Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated spoke with James during the Nike Skills Academy. The future Hall of Famer didn't shy away from the GOAT conversation, stating: "My motivation is this ghost I'm chasing. The ghost played in Chicago," of course referencing Michael Jordan.

James clarified his comments by discussing the differences about their careers, but he admitted to SI being the greatest to ever play is something that's on his mind:

"

My career is totally different than Michael Jordan's. What I've gone through is totally different than what he went through. What he did was unbelievable, and I watched it unfold. I looked up to him so much. I think it's cool to put myself in position to be one of those great players, but if I can ever put myself in position to be the greatest player, that would be something extraordinary.

"

Ultimately, those types of debates have numerous factors, both tangible and intangible, and there's rarely a consensus answer. Those looking for a purely statistical breakdown may point to Win Shares, where James currently ranks eighth all time, according to Basketball Reference.

He's still in what's typically the back end of a player's prime, though. That leaves him a lot of time to keep adding more accolades and, depending on whether he can add a few more titles, maybe walk away with a strong case for the best ever.