It's a Three-way Battle for the Best

In the beginning of the NBA season, it was a two-player contest for the best player in the league. LeBron James is making writers think he is a machine (literally), and Kobe Bryant was adding another brilliant season to his résumé by leading his team to the top of the Western Conference.

It didn’t used to be that way for either player.

When Shaq left Kobe after a disappointing beat down in the 2004 finals, given by the Detroit Pistons, the Lakers didn't make the playoffs the next season; it was maybe Bryant's most disappointing season as a professional. He had to rebuild his team, and it was going to take some time. It wasn't until the 2007-08 season when Bryant finally felt comfortable enough with his team to include them offensively. His team played hard, they played smart, and Lakers made it back to the finals only to lose in a six game-effort. But they jumped back on the right track; it only took a couple of years to rebuild a team around Bryant.

James came into the league in 2004 as the number one pick in the draft. The Cleveland Cavaliers were awful, and James was a one-man team. He immediately contributed and was named Rookie of the Year. While James and the Cavs made the playoffs the following year, his team still wasn't mature; they couldn't compete with the teams from the West. It took a couple of years for the Cavs to build around James, and now that they have, Cleveland might win the Eastern Conference this year. James by-himself was scary; James with a team is no less than powerful.

It took a couple years for Bryant and James' teams to develop, but now that they have, they might meet in the 2009 NBA Finals. As good as both of them are, it might not last long with a third competitor resurrecting from the dead… or from injury.

It’s not Global Warming that has me concerned about the future (even though I am concerned), but rather Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat.

His 29.7 points-per-game leads the NBA over James and Bryant, and Wade is second in steals behind Chris Paul, with 2.22 per game.

Wade won’t win MVP because James and Bryant’ teams are performing better, and that’s how it goes every year with every great player. But Wade went from not be considered for MVP at the beginning of the season, to being one of the best in the NBA like in 2006.

One thing I do know, Wade was the best player in 2006, and he showed it when it mattered most.

Wade is the most recent of the three to win a championship. He maybe had the greatest playoff performance the NBA's ever seen. He was the sole reason why the Heat triumphed over Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 finals. If it wasn’t for injuries in 2007 and 2008, I’m not sure Wade wouldn’t have added a couple more rings on his fingers.

Wade is going through the same growing pains James and Bryant went through. When Wade’s team is fully developed in two or three years, Wade might be the most feared player in the NBA.