THE NEXT GREAT ONE?
If the triple-double is one way to define both greatness and versatility, then the reign of King James has officially begun in the kingdom of the NBA.

There was some debate early last season about which rookie was more sensational — Denver’s Carmelo Anthony or Cleveland’s LeBron James. In Year II, however, the debate is over. Not only has James blown past Anthony in the NBA hierarchy, his wondrous winter is making long-time league observers dare to ask this question: Is James on his way to becoming one of the all-time greats?

INTERACTIVE Comparing LeBron James to the greats Introduction Scoring Rebounding Passing Ballhandling Defense Intangibles

The circumstantial evidence is overwhelming. On Jan. 19 at Portland, James became the youngest player EVER to register a triple-double. The 20-year-old who jumped straight to the NBA out of high school last season produced 27 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Incredibly, three nights later he repeated himself, getting 28 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists at Golden State. He began a six-game West Coast trip against the Lakers and put on a show for Kobe Bryant — who left with a severe ankle injury in the game — by scoring 28 points, grabbing 13 rebounds and notching 9 assists.

Even though the Cavaliers faded down the stretch and failed to make the playoffs, James still finished the season averaging more than 25 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists per game. He is only the fifth player to accomplish the feat. The others are Oscar Robertson (6 consecutive seasons), John Havlicek (2), Larry Bird (1) and Michael Jordan (1).

How does James’ game compare to some of the all-time great guard-forward types in various categories? NBCSports.com breaks it down.

NEXT: LEBRON'S SCORING

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