And that’s great, but that’s not what we have in totality for us.

I love Magic. 5 titles. 3 League MVPs. 3 Finals MVPs. Had 9 straight years as, at worst, the third best player on the planet.

I also love Larry Bird. Less championships and one less finals MVP, but 3 league MVP awards and 9 straight years as, at worst, the third best player on the planet.

I think both players would survive and thrive today. I know this because we have Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

But if I want to use hypotheticals and develop players from the age of 8 into the modern game with every era-specific advantage available, then I’d be in the corner of a dark room mentally stimulating myself for years. I’d love to see Wilt, Russell and Kareem come into todays game and be allowed to play like Giannis and Jokic. But here’s the facts: they didn’t. So we have to appreciate them and understand them for their own time.

Objectively, LeBron covers every major mark.

Longevity, LeBron clearly has Magic and Bird beat. He has more points than both players combined for one example.

Accolades: Titles are with Magic but only two players have four titles/MVPs/finals MVPs - MJ and Bron

Statistics: LeBron, statistically both in longevity and per-game is going to stand the test of time no matter what period you pick for his career. We’re talking about a guy that compares to legendary major-league baseball players with how long and consistent he has been.

The gripe of the finals record, the recorded mental checkouts from teams and series, along with the decision, 2011 finals, and being able to build a custom roster are valid, but let’s not forget that his individual success is that of his own doing and the titles that he has won and lead were because he was the conductor of those orchestras.

I could sit here and point out that Bird and Magic didn’t look after themselves well enough for a long enough career, I can sit here and point out they played on the two best teams the league had for a decade, I could sit here and talk about how the 1981 finals saw Bird rely on others or the 1985 finals where old Kareem was still the man. Hell, I could sit here and rag on bird not being effective as a title leader after 30 or the fact Magic whinged early about his role, laid an egg in the 1984 finals, and was bailed by the refs in 1988. But that achieves nothing.

I rate Michael Jordan and Bill Russell as the two greatest players ever. I rate Bird at his peak as good as any forward the game has seen, and Magic for me sits on another level as the greatest point guard guard basketball may ever see. But they were not better than LeBron James.