J.R. Smith, Kendrick Perkins: LeBron close to taking Michael Jordan's spot

The King is coming for Michael Jordan's crown.

In a heroic performance against the Atlanta Hawks - through leg cramps and right knee discomfort - that culminated in the 12th postseason triple-double of his career (37 points, 18 rebounds, 13 assists), LeBron James became the first player since 1993 to put up at least 35 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in a playoff game.

The Cleveland Cavaliers' star forward continues to fuel the "who is the best to ever touch the court?" debate, and his teammates are happy to play along.

"The only thing that he's missing is a couple more championships and then it's a wrap," Kendrick Perkins told Northeast Ohio Media Group's Chris Haynes.

"Right now we have arguably the best player to ever play the game. I'm just saying man. I'm not taking anything away from Jordan, but all he's missing is titles. A couple of more titles and that's it."

"That's one hell of a debate. Honestly, in my opinion, if it's not Jordan then it's him," said J.R. Smith. "It used to be no question. It was a landslide. It was Jordan. Now, you have to consider my boy."

After a glance at James's impressive resume, few would argue that the comparisons are unwarranted. The four-time MVP has collected two league titles and has helped his team reach the playoffs for 10 consecutive years.

But, alas, it's easy to see why Jordan is still the reigning king, leaving six NBA Finals with six titles, earning five MVP awards, and being the league's scoring champion 10 times.

There's no push on James's part to dethrone the basketball great, however. Part of his magic, according to Perkins, is that he's just naturally dominant on the court.

"Just think about it, truthfully, if he wanted to, he could win the MVP every year," said Perkins. "Think about that. When it's all said and done, he'll probably be the best the game has seen."