Apparently, It's Official: LeBron James is Not the Best Player in the NBA—Yet

MVP or no, LeBron James is not the NBA’s best player.

That’s the verdict of an “expert” panel convened by The Sporting News to select the Top 50 players in the NBA today. The panel’s nod went to Kobe Bryant of the Lakers, by a wide margin.

Bryant received 62 first-place votes to James’ 34. Miami’s Dwayne Wade, third on the list, earned 11 votes for the top spot.

No surprises, there. James is more the crown prince than the king at this point, regardless of nicknames. And while the throne should be his within two or three years—maybe sooner—Bryant is the most accomplished player on the planet right now.

TSN’s collection of 107 former and current players, coaches and executives lends credibility to the process, although some of the panelists are oddly random choices: Mark Eaton? Tracy Murray? Steve Stipanovich ?

As with any list, there are plenty of selections to argue about, but let’s focus on the Kobe-LeBron debate. I enter such choppy waters more for fun than fact, since these arguments are subjective and based mostly on opinion.

It’s hard to go wrong either way, but Kobe has the hardware to back up his claim—not only league championships, but also his share of MVP, scoring and defensive awards. He remains the one player any team would like to have to take the last shot with a game on the line.

With LeBron, it’s the all-around package that dazzles. He’s willed himself to become one of the best defensive players in the league, a must for anyone who wants to be ranked among the game’s elite. His combination of strength and speed is unparalleled, and he consistently ranks among the league leaders in scoring.

Covering the Cavaliers, I see LeBron on a regular basis. From where I sit, the argument for his superiority is this: If you traded James straight up for anyone else on the list, which team would be better as a result: the Cavaliers, or the team he was traded to?

For example, if LeBron went to Los Angeles for Kobe, would the Lakers still be considered the league’s premier team? I think so. But would Cleveland be better with Bryant? Could he carry the likes of Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Mo Williams, and Anderson Varejao as effectively? I’m not so sure.

Make the same trade with the Heat, and LeBron’s value would likewise be evident. And so on, right down the list.

In reality, that argument supports James as league MVP, and he was the rightful selection last year. Again, it’s the all-around package that dazzles, and it’s that talent that would enable him to best offset the loss of any other team’s star, regardless of position.

Another feather in LeBron’s cap is that, when drafted out of high school, he joined a poor team. Yes, it was his hometown Cavaliers, which allowed him to be comfortable while playing in a supportive, almost family-like environment. But he almost single-handedly lifted the Cavs to championship-contender status within four years.

On the other hand, Kobe, when drafted out of high school by a poor team, refused to go there and orchestrated a trade to the Lakers. His rise to greatness came under the tutelage of a future Hall of Fame coach, Phil Jackson, and under the protective wing of a future Hall of Fame center in his prime, Shaquille O’Neal.

Despite being granted the privilege of choosing where he wanted to play, and having the advantage of playing in such a talent-rich environment, his early years did not compare to LeBron's.

James came into the league a more complete player—Bryant didn't even start until his third season—and statistically LeBron's first six years far outshine Kobe’s. Had Bryant remained with the Hornets, the team that drafted him, would we be having this discussion today?

That said, the Sporting News panel selected Bryant as the NBA’s premier player. When  viewed in the context of his entire 14-year career, it’s a solid choice. His achievements have earned him the title—LeBron himself has said so—and it remains his until James, or some other successor, amasses the required body of work to inherit it.