Tony Dejak / AP

DEFENSE
Again, Jordan is in a class by himself, having made the NBA’s all-defensive team nine times. His teammate, Scottie Pippen, was another tremendous defender, often taking the toughest assignment to free up Jordan to concentrate on offense.

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

It’s often forgotten that a major ingredient to the Bulls’ six championships was their incredible 1-2 defensive punch. James isn’t afraid to stick his nose in on defense — why not, he’s so quick and strong?

He doesn’t block shots the way Julius Erving, but James is the equal of the good doctor when it comes to stalking the ball. James averaged 2.2 steals per game in 2005, much improved from his rookie campaign. But at present, James is not the lock-down one-on-one defender that Pippen was.

NEXT: LEBRON'S LEADERSHIP

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Not in his house

Rajon Rondo had 18 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds and the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 85-75 in Game 7 on Saturday night to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

CSN: Rondo's big-game DNA shines  |  Highlights

CSN: You may not see it from start to finish, but when the game — or in this case, postseason life — is on the line, you see just how good Rajon Rondo can be.

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