The title should read "Why Lebron James is never going to be better than Michael Jordan". Actually, he will probably not even be close. Grant it, Lebron James is a unique player, but Michael Jordan possessed attributes far out of King James' reach. I see three reasons to sum up my point.

1) Killer Instinct- Lebron James, from what I have seen viewing him over the past several years, is an extraordinary specimen who lacks the intangibles to lead his team to the feast and kill their pray. With his triple-double capibility, Lebron James can put his team in a winning position almost every night, but it is yet to be seen that he can deliver the dagger to finish the job. Michael Jordan could do just that. He made the shot when it counted (i.e. the jumper over Craig Ehlo in 1989). Michael Jordan was the man to take the decisive shot and he could deliver. Lebron James is the man to take the decisive shot, but as far as I can tell, he can't deliver.

2) Teammates- There is much to attribute to a superstar's teammate. Michael Jordan, as good as he was, was surrounded by talented players who could help shoulder the load. Scottie Pippen was an All-Star in his own right. He was an all-around player who could help balance Jordan's scoring and defensive attack. Big men, such as Horace Grant and Dennis Rodman, pulled down rebounds and played outstanding interior defense. Veterans such as Steve Kerr and Ron Harper could hit the big shot if needed and used their shooting ability to be perimeter contributers if needed. All of the Bulls' rosters from their 6 titles were chalked full of solid, role players. Lebron James, who is under contract with the Cavs until 09/10 with a player option for the following year, has yet to be surrounding by the quality players that a star needs to true thrive and create a winning environment. Whether it is busts (i.e. Larry Hughes), inexperienced youth (i.e. Daniel Gibson), or past peak players (i.e. Drew Gooden), James' teammates just don't have what it takes to help carry the burden of an 82 game season. James' only proven support, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, is has constant leg problems and is way past his prime. The management in Cleveland needs to add some star support if James and the Cavs want to win it all anytime soon.

3) The State of the NBA- The state of the NBA is at an all-time high in respect to young, athletic men who want to run, jump, and dunk all evening. Although his variety of athletic and basketball skills rank in the top 5 in the NBA, the other teams most certainly have players who can run, muscle, and jump with Lebron James. James, with all his might and power, is not leaps and bounds ahead of everyone physically anymore. Despite his incredible gifts, the majority of the NBA has similiar gifts. Michael Jordan, on the other hand, was a man amongst boys for the most part in the late eighties and early to mid nineties. He could jump higher, run faster, and often times out muscle his opponents. He was smoother. He was flashier. He was more poised. Michael Jordan could just out do his opponents physically not to mention with his basketball skills.

Lebron James is without a doubt in almost everyone's mind, except maybe Skip Bayless, one of the better basketball players in the NBA today. But when it comes to decision time, James will not rank higher than Michael Jordan on the all-time greats list. He might not even be in the top 10 in the NBA today.

Learn more about this author, Tyler Gobble.
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