Shaquille O'Neal Says LeBron James Mix of Himself, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal took traits from some of the biggest names in the sport's history to offer a proper parallel for Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James.

"He's a mixture of Michael [Jordan], Shaq and Magic [Johnson]," O'Neal said, per Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon. "Shaq, because he's bigger and stronger than everybody. Michael because he can score whenever he feels like it. And Magic because he does a great job getting everybody else involved. He's been like that his whole career. Even in high school. I knew he was a special guy in high school."

O'Neal's comments highlight the folly of attempting to compare James to any one player from the NBA's past. Johnson and Oscar Robertson are the closest analogues for LeBron since they were both skilled playmakers and capable scorers.

With that said, James has arguably surpassed Magic and The Big O in terms of overall body of work. Robertson began fading when he reached his 30s, while Johnson's HIV diagnosis forced him to abruptly walk away from the game at 32—he returned briefly in 1995-96 at age 36.

As part of the site's ranking of the greatest players ever, ESPN.com listed James third overall, behind Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and one place ahead of Johnson.

And LeBron continues to burnish his legacy even after 14 years in the league. At 32, he remains the most talented player on the planet, and he just surpassed Jordan for most career playoff points:

James is approaching his seventh straight NBA Finals. Yet, in the eyes of some fans, nothing LeBron can do will ever be enough for him to move ahead of Jordan.

But rather than constantly weighing the respective resumes of James and MJ, fans should appreciate LeBron's greatness while he remains near the peak of his powers.