Cleveland Cavaliers pair Kendrick Perkins and JR Smith have insisted that LeBron James is closing the gap on Michael Jordan to be regarded as the best ever.
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James has been a dominant force in the NBA for a number of years, but after multiple MVP awards and two championships, he is still considered as being a level below Jordan.
The former Chicago Bulls star will arguably never be usurped by any player in the eyes of many given his popularity and what he did for the game on and off the court, but there is a valid argument to suggest that James is on the path to at least being considered his equal.
Both Perkins and Smith know what the difference is between the pair right now, but they believe that it could all change in the coming years depending on how successful the Cavs are.
“The only thing that he’s missing is a couple more championships and then it’s a wrap,” Perkins told Northeast Ohio Media Group.
“Right now we have arguably the best player to ever play the game. I’m just saying man. I’m not taking anything away from Jordan, but all he’s missing is titles. A couple of more titles and that’s it.”
Smith added that it was still a great debate even though many will argue that it has become tiresome over the years and that each individual should be respected for what they have achieved in their respective generations separately.
However, the former New York Knicks star said that while it “used to be a landslide”, now people have to “consider my boy” as James continued to be successful at a high level no matter what team he plays for.
At 30 years of age, James certainly has more than enough time to surpass Jordan in terms of individual accolades and number of titles, but it remains to be seen if even that is enough to change the general opinion that the Bulls legend can’t be replaced.
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