Here we are, four years after the celebrated debut of two very talentes prodigys entered the NBA, and still we debate who truely is the best of the best. Is it the man who became a multi-millionaire before he stepped into the pros, or the man who won a NCAA title before jumping the next year? Well, in my humble opinion, LeBron wins... by default. You really can't compare two guys who are in completely different situations. Carmelo has been placed in the much tougher conference and thus has to fight just to get into the playoffs, but shouldn't that mean LeBron should have been a perennial contender in the East? You can make the argument that LeBron's cast is weak, and there is truth to that. But look at the Nuggets. Aside from an aging (and attempting to defer) AI, Marcus Camby, and maybe Nene (did I just say that?), Carmelo's team isn't a whole lot better. So lets look at it from their style of play. LeBron's game is still incomplete even today. His jumper, especially from three, is shaky, and his free throw shooting makes you cringe. But there aren't many better at slashing to the rack and jamming it home. And he does attempt to involve his lesser talented teammates. Carmelo's game is primarily about scoring. His rebounding and passing aren't quite his forte, and the so-called solution of him and AI teaming up has produce a so-so record. And to cap it off, LeBron, in two fewer appearences, has won more playoff series than Carmelo (albeit by a 1-0 score) So I'd say LeBron wins until Carmelo shows he can lead a team to victory. Period.