Lincicome: Jordan still the greatest despite LeBron breaking record

My first review of LeBron James, the basketball player, suggested that the teenager, already festooned with tattoos, ought to have one that read, "Some assembly required." My advice aside, James did turn out rather nicely.

All these years later, having scored more points than anyone else, the rush is on to celebrate James as the best there ever was, and I am still here to refute that.

Somewhere in the fog of time, there is a first impression of Michael Jordan, selected third in the 1984 NBA draft, a rueful Rod Thorn apologizing for having no other choice.

The shot that beat Georgetown, the shot that beat Cleveland, the shot that beat Utah, all those other shots that underline the legend, those I witnessed and others I did not, stick with me whereas not one of James' comes to mind, though I suppose they do exist.

Think of it this way, James is the Jordan of his time, but Jordan was not the James of his. Jordan was not the Johnson or the Julius or the Oscar either, though the measurement with Big O is closer than with King James.

Between Jordan and James the question of who would be the next Jordan preoccupied those who thought about those things, myself included, never really expecting an answer. Very good players came and went, most notably Kobe Bryant, but the answer was left hanging.

And then along came James.

What is the measurement for the greatest ever? Titles, awards, attention? Well, according to the NBA's own definition it is "acclamation" which is another way of saying, "Everyone knows."

Acclamation is a handy thing to have. It can't be refuted, it can't be contested and it does not even have to be true. Social media and ex-Presidents are lousy with acclamation.

What everyone knows now is that James has scored more points than any player ever and acclamation gets tested. When Jordan never threatened Kareem Abdul Jabbar's point total acclamation was healthy and whole, so now that James has passed Jabbar what has changed?

If total career points is now the measurement, it cannot avoid being seen as a companion of longevity. Whereas, again by acclamation, Ted Williams - maybe Willie Mays - is the greatest baseball player ever, Pete Rose still has the most hits.

Likewise, Jim Brown, with a short career, is the greatest running back ever although his total yards are 6000 less and 108 games fewer than Emmitt Smith.

Henry Aaron needs acclamation to fend off the artificially fueled Barry Bonds as the greatest home run hitter of all time yet Bonds has the record. Unerasable and likely unassailable.

There are those who have the happy coincidence of acclamation and achievement, Wayne Gretzky most notably and Tom Brady most recently. Serena Williams has all the right numbers and the indisputable decency to deserve acclamation as the greatest female tennis player ever, whereas you must go back to Rod Laver and his wooden racket to find the greatest male.

Muhammad Ali was many laudable things, but the greatest fighter he was not. Sugar Ray Robinson was. And let's not forget, Rocky Marciano never lost a fight.

Tiger Woods will never catch Jack Nicklaus now and Bobby Jones was in an era incompatible with this discussion, still by my own acclamation, I'll take Arnold Palmer because, well, because he was my favorite athlete I ever covered and Palmer essentially invented modern golf.

But if Jordan needs numbers to reestablish his acclamation, here are some. Most notably the 400 or so fewer games Jordan played than James. In his second NBA season, Jordan's legend still an infant, he missed 64 games with a broken foot.

For reasons personal and painful, he gave away more than a year and half at the peak of his powers to humble himself in minor league baseball. That's another 147 games missed.

Between his second retirement and his unfortunate return with the Wizards of Washington at age 38, the same age that James is now, that's another 164 games.

So, figuring Jordan's career average of 30 points a game, those 375 missed games would bring his career total to more than 43,000 points, leaving James with 5,000 or more to catch up.

Just saying.