National Basketball Association

Shannon Sharpe explains how LeBron James can surpass Michael Jordan

Published Dec. 28, 2016 2:06 p.m. ET

Nick Schwartz

LeBron James has been to the NBA Finals in six consecutive seasons, and in the summer of 2016 had one of the best Finals performances in the history of the game, becoming the first player ever to lead all players in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals.

James has been compared to Michael Jordan since he was a high-school kid, but as his accomplishments continue to mount, it's becoming more and more realistic that James could eventually retire as the new "greatest of all time."

According to Shannon Sharpe, if James wins the next two championships - and his Cavaliers are already the heavy favorites in the East for the forseeable future - that title could be his.

"If LeBron won three straight titles, would he pass Jordan? Yes…. I believe he will win the [regular-season] MVP this year. I believe he will be the MVP of the next two Finals, so that would give him 5 regular-season MVPs, five Finals MVPs. Also, he’d be in the top 5 in scoring if that were to happen.

Reason number two, [which] I think goes unnoticed. He broke up the Detroit Pistons… He went on that run, scored 48 points, the last 25 [in 2007]. He broke up the Big 3 in Boston, ran it out of town. He broke up Oklahoma City’s Big 3 before it could even get started…. He beat the all-time greatest regular-season team in NBA history. 73-9. He beat them, came down from 3-1 to do it.

Michael Jordan, before he got Scottie Pippen, never won a playoff series. Got swept by the Big 3 in Boston. You keep talking about how great he was, but how great was he without Scottie Pippen? Just a guy that put up a lot of stats. He was Russell Westbrook before Russell Westbrook was, because all he did was accumulate stats… and even when he got Scottie Pippen, lost to the Pistons three straight times."