January 16, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) shoots the ball between Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson (11) and power forward David Lee (10, right) to record his 20,000 career point during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

This past Wednesday, LeBron James became the youngest player to reach the 20,000 career points milestone in the history of the NBA. However does that really propel him to the top of the greatest players of all time discussion. Any old-timer would say Wilt. Any of today’s modern day analyst would say Michael. Today’s youngest of fans would say Kobe. Lets get it clear LeBron James with his current resumé is not the best player of all time.

However I will make a case that he is the best athlete to ever play in the NBA. Virtually this 6’8 behemoth of a man is unguardable.  James is in the running, no pun intended, to be one of the fastest that play the game right now. Let’s not forget, his vertical is also off the charts which is around 44 inches.

Let’s not let the Wednesday go to waste what could arguably be the start of many milestones set by the best statistical player in NBA history. LeBron is 37th all time in scoring and he hasn’t even turned 30 yet. With Dwyane Wade’s scoring ability heading downward, LeBron has potential to increase his scoring output throughout the rest of his Miami Heat career. He’s definitely on pace to pass Jordan on the list, let’s keep that as a safe bet.

Talking about Jordan, LeBron is on pace to beat Jordan in every statistical category. LeBron just needs: 617 more assists, 1412 rebounds, and 276 blocks to reach Jordan’s totals. All of which are possible to be matched within the next few seasons. I’m not saying that LeBron is better than Jordan. That is straight up sacrilegious. However, this only clarifies that in a society based on fantasy sports and statistical data, that LeBron is the best of the best. LeBron will ultimately end his career as the best statistical player without a doubt.

LeBron James is entering the prime of his career, and yes he’s going to have his ups and downs.  Should he best discussed in G.O.A.T. discussions? Absolutely. With the 20K milestone, we’ve only reached an early checkpoint in LeBron’s storied career.

Compare that to Boston GM Danny Ainge who spent three years at the major league level, hitting a career .220, and most will agree that Ainge, while not wildly successful in the MLB, was still a better baseball player.  Ainge spent three years playing for the Blue Jays before moving on to the NBA to play with the Celtics, Kings, Trail Blazers, and Suns.

Ainge’s NBA career, much like Jordan’s, was superior to his MLB career, but at least Ainge found his way to the majors.  He was superb in the field, posting a .999 fielding percentage in center field, while also posting great numbers as a utility infielder capable of playing his primary position of  second base, as well as playing some third base, and short stop.

Indeed, Ainge was a prototypical infielder whose value lied in his defense, while Jordan’s value lied only in his marketability and drawing fans to watch the Birmingham Barons of the White Sox farm system.

So, it then comes down to this:  How can you compare Ainge’s success in baseball but less than awesome NBA career to a player who was the greatest hooper of all time yet never even cracked the majors?

I don’t suppose you can compare them at all, nor attempt to discern how Jordan’s lack of success in baseball may or may not balance the scales in terms of compensating for Ainge’s inferiority on the court.  It’s comparing apples to oranges, to be sure, yet at some point you have to draw a comparison…

Let’s face it, you’re comparing a guy who played at the pro level in two different sports to the greatest player of all time who couldn’t reach the pro level in his second sport.

At any rate, this comparison may border on absurd, as comparing a mediocre athlete like Ainge to the explosive talents of Michael Jordan isn’t really a tenable argument.  But most don’t consider that while Jordan could do things on the court that Ainge couldn’t do, Ainge could say the same thing about the diamond.  His fielding skills put Jordan’s to shame, and Jordan likely couldn’t have hit above .150 against major league pitching.

Ainge has also had a more successful career as a general manager, but that is a topic for another day.  Right now, suffice it to say that Ainge was a better two sport athlete, if only because he could competently play both sports.

Offense wins games, defense wins championships. We’ve all heard the saying, and there is a reason for it. Its held true throughout the history of sports, including basketball. Who can lock an opponent down when it truly matters and the game is on the line? The NBA has seen its fair share of great defensive players, but who are the very best? Each season the NBA compiles and awards an All-NBA Defensive Team. Who would make an all-time team though? A team so great defensively that opponents would rather play defense than offense. Well, here is a group of five who would create a lot of problems for any offensive player.

Point Guard – Gary Payton

His nickname “The Glove” really says it all. He could just take an opposing guard out of the picture for the full 48 minutes. He made nine consecutive Defensive First Teams and averaged more than 2 steals per game in his 17-year career. His size at 6-foot-4 could really bother other point guards, making it difficult for them to get a clean shot off. What was Payton’s best defensive asset though? His mouth. The Oakland born guard could talk trash with the best of them, and found himself in the head of his opposing counterpart quite often.

Shooting Guard – Michael Jordan

Everyone knows Jordan is the best and it’s hard to argue against it. The six NBA championships, more than 32,000 career points, and the countless moments of pure greatness he gave us speaks for itself, but what pushed him to another level was his defense. He took both sides of the floor extremely serious, and could eliminate the other team’s best perimeter player, as evidenced by his nine Defensive First Team selections. His physical attributes, 6-foot-6 with speed and athleticism, coupled with his fierce competitive mentality made it a nightmare for anyone playing the Bulls.

Small Foward – LeBron James

It can easily be argued that Scottie Pippen should hold this spot, but James is a more physically gifted Pippen in my eyes. James has patented the chase down block and left offensive players fearful of a clear path to the rim, knowing he could be lurking behind them. He’s made four Defensive First Teams and surely has several more left before his career is finished. His physical nature takes its toll on players, just ask Paul Pierce. James has consistently averaged around two steals during his career and is yet to reach his basketball prime. As his mental approach to the game progresses, so will his defense too and that is a scary thought for Miami Heat opponents.

Power Forward – Dennis Rodman

Every team needs a little crazy, especially on defense, and Rodman provides plenty of it. Rodman was the ultimate defensive specialist and thrived in his enforcer role. Despite playing undersized at about 6-foot-7, he easily held his own against bigger players and created havoc in the lane. He’s 11th on the all-time career rebounds list, and made seven Defensive First Teams. Rodman once averaged 18.7 rebounds per game for a season. He would be sure to clean up any missed shots that were being forced on the outside by Payton, Jordan, and James.

Center – Bill Russell

With Rodman controlling the glass, Russell would be this team’s shot blocker. The Celtics’ great was so good at blocking shots, he mastered the art of tipping the ball to a teammate so they could gain possession. As mentioned before, defense wins championships and there is no better proof then Russell’s 11 rings. He is second in career rebounds with 21,620. His leadership qualities also deserve mention as he would be the perfect captain to anchor this defensive juggernaut.