I believe LeBron James is the greatest athlete to ever live and has done the impossible — he surpassed Michael Jordan with his accomplishments on and off the court.

I think LeBron is starting to transcend the game of basketball, something that has coincided with the decline of his career. Think about this: His standards and expectations are so high that this year is considered a down year for him, even though he is putting up 27.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and eight assists per game. LeBron said multiple times to the media he wants to own an NBA team one day, and I think he will do just that.

The only knocks on “The King” are his finals record and his unselfishness. LeBron would’ve beaten every team Jordan faced in the finals, and I can guarantee it wouldn’t have been close. I can also guarantee LeBron would never have retired for two years like Jordan did.

LeBron has arguably faced some of the best teams ever assembled in the finals, and he even beat the greatest team of all time with the the 73-9 Golden State Warriors. LeBron also never lost in the first round of the playoffs, something Jordan did three times. He will likely end up the leading scorer in NBA history, and he has a great chance to end up as the only player with 40,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists.

LeBron is setting new records almost nightly, many of which will likely never be broken. No athlete in history has ever had to do more with less than LeBron. Jordan will likely finish with more rings than LeBron, but outside of that, there is really no other argument you can make for him.

LeBron now owns the statistical advantage in every major category after passing Jordan in career points last week. 

As Colin Cowherd regularly says on his show “The Herd,” LeBron is entering the “mogul stage” of his career, as he is turning into a generational icon that is becoming bigger than basketball. His personal brand will never reach Jordan’s level, but he is a walking legend, and we need to appreciate the few years he has left.

Jordan was undoubtedly ahead of his time, and there is no disputing he and LeBron are the top two basketball players ever. It’s a shame they never got to play against each other, as they played in two different eras, but that’s what makes this debate everlasting. I am looking forward to seeing them face off as owners in the near future.

 Sean Blevins is a columnist. Contact him at [email protected].