“We’ve watched him score like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, pass like Magic and captivate like Jordan” - Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd in awe of LeBron James’ greatness

LeBron James, from Akron, Ohio, has remained relevant since his emergence in the NBA in 2003. Often, he has been tagged as the greatest of all time in direct comparison to the legendary Michael Jordan. In other circles, he is considered to be the closest basketball player to Jordan in terms of talent and impact on the game.

In Year 19, he is playing at such a high level, averaging 29.1 points per game in 41 games. He is shooting 52.2% from the field, 35.3% from 3-point range and a career-best 62.2% from the free-throw line.

In The Athletic's countdown of the 75 best players in NBA history, writers Jor Vardon and Jason Lloyd discussed James' greatness as a panel of The Athletic's NBA staff selected LBJ as No. 2. They highlighted why he is the second-best NBA player of all time, saying he has always been special even before he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003:

"For years, as James stockpiled NBA Most Valuable Player trophies in Cleveland and Miami, and championships in Miami, Cleveland and Los Angeles, we’ve watched him score like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, pass like Magic and captivate like Jordan. We’ve known how good LeBron is. We’ve known since before the Cavs drafted him No. 1 in 2003 that he was special."

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LeBron James continues his 25-plus points tally per game in 23 consecutive games

LeBron James of the LA Lakers drives against Hassan Whiteside and Trent Forrest of the Utah Jazz during the second quarter at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday in Los Angeles, California.

Since his 19th game of the season, LeBron James has scored 25 or more points night after night. In the Lakers' game against the Chicago Bulls in their second meeting of the season, LBJ recorded a double-double of 31 points and 14 rebounds.

Little did the world know that night was the beginning of a 23-game stretch of electric performances. In that period, he has averaged 31.7 points per game as he is having an MVP-caliber season. His best outing statistically came against the Portland Trail Blazers in a 33-point win, posting 43 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks.

"King James" was magnificent in the Lakers' 106-101 win Wednesday, recording 33 points, eight rebounds and six assists against the Utah Jazz.

As he leads out Team LeBron in his 18th All-Star Game, nothing short of an exceptional performance will be expected from the living legend.