NBA: A King's Throne

"I feel confident because I'm the best player in the world, it's simple," said Lebron James, who has an incredible competitive nature, when his team was trailing 3-2 in the 2015 NBA Finals. He is the best player in the world as of right now and that's pretty much a consensus theory amongst anybody who knows the game of basketball.

However when speaking of all-time, there is one that donned the same number and has rivaled him in comparison ever since he was just a high school teenager: Michael Jeffrey Jordan. This article is about why James will be known as the G.O.A.T. when he hangs up his sneakers.

As of right now, Jordan still reigns as the greatest ever since he stepped off the court in an unfamiliar Wizards jersey back in 2003. Picking up right where he left off, James jumped into the NBA the very next season. He was regarded as the second coming of Jordan and when James is done, he will be in his own class.

Here is why: James is 32 years old and has an estimated eight years left the in the NBA. He either leads, is tied, or trails in just three of all categories listed here: championships, playoffs made, All-Star games, MVP, Finals MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-NBA Defensive Teams, Defensive Player of the Year, steals leader, and Rookie of the Year.

Now given the level of help he has now and the ability to rest without worry of the Cavaliers falling too far back in the standings, James should be able to salvage his aging body. Meaning, he should have at least half of his remaining career as prime playing years.

With those four or five years, the 6'8, 249-pound athlete, could jump in front of Jordan in all of those crucial statistics. Now in terms of the effect he has per game vs. the former Chicago Bulls superstar, James has had a larger impact. He averages more assists and rebounds per game and while Jordan has the edge in points and steals, James has always been more of a team player, shown through his love to distribute the ball.

That can lead to better team play as a unit and relaxation on the team as a whole when everybody is involved. This could be seen with James' longest winning streak at 27 and Jordan's at 18, possibly due to bonding the team as a strong unit and everyone being on a roll when involved.

Aside from statistics, James has not had the privilege that Jordan had with great coaching. It took Jordan getting Phil Jackson to win his first and all of his championships, while James singlehandedly made a name out of Erik Spoelstra, who is known as the best coach he has had.

Also, James has always been loyal to the league and never left like Jordan did. Aside from the reasoning, that is something that should still be honored as a basketball player. In conclusion, James still has a little hike on the great mountain Jordan created in the NBA. This is just a small hike though, he has almost conquered and eventually will conquer the title as the greatest basketball player of all-time.

Photo Credit: Sports Mockery.