He has a royal nickname.  He has a lethal offensive game.  And there is a very good chance that LeBron James will, one day, lead his team to an NBA Championship.

This year just seemed a tad early for King James.

The prodigy, who has gone from high school phenom to legitimate NBA star in three years, now finds himself on the right side of a 3-2 lead in the second round of the NBA playoffs.  And one of the games on the Cleveland Cavs' side of the ledger came courtesy of LeBron's spectacular triple-double performance in Game 3.  In it, James hit several key shots down the stretch (one, a phenomenal finger-roll through a double-team; another, a dagger of a 3-pointer) and got the assist, his 10th of the game, on Damon Jones' 3-pointer with 40 seconds left that effectively iced the game.

Most surprising is that the man who would be king is climbing his way through the playoffs against five guys from Detroit with championship rings.  The Detroit Pistons won the NBA championship in 2004 and made a return trip to the NBA Finals last season before falling to the San Antonio Spurs in seven games.  That playoff-savvy starting five from the Motor City was thought to be a virtual shoe-in to put LeBron's coronation off for at least another year.  However, right now, the only shoe around is the one being fitted for the biggest Cinderella story of this year's playoffs.

In a series pitting promise against experience, promise has a 3-2 lead.  On paper, that didn't seem possible.  Detroit's overall edge in experience and ability seemed overwhelming compared to the upstart Cavs.

Specifically, Detroit's Chauncey Billips is quick and decisive and his court vision allows him to find open looks and open teammates with equal ability.  Plus, he makes nearly 90% of his free throw attempts which is an added weapon when close games are decided at the line.  Rip Hamilton is a conditioning freak with a nice mid-range stroke.  His ability to wear down defenders with his constant hustle on the floor pays late-game dividends in the form of wide open looks.  Ben Wallace is a soul crushing defensive force of nature in the paint. 

And 'Sheed?  Even though he puts the "T" in team, he's also a 6'11" scorer who can knock down a three.  Even the man assigned to guard King James, Tayshaun Prince, is an agile defender with incredibly long arms and has given LeBron everything he can handle on the defensive end.  And they all have a ton of experience in late-round, high-pressure playoff basketball.

The Cavs?  Other than the King, they have Anderson Varejao, the 23-year old Brazilian, who has energy and ability but is as raw as an uncooked porterhouse. Damon Jones is a journeyman point guard but did make his mark on the playoffs by hitting the game-winning 3-pointer that sent the Washington Wizards home in the first round.  Donyell Marshall and Eric Snow are capable veterans but elicit little more than a shoulder shrug when assessing their skills.  Zydrunas Ilgauskas is 7'3" and has never averaged more than nine rebounds a game during his eight-year NBA career, a classic case of a big man with a little man's game.  And Drew Gooden often appears as ready to disappear into the hardwood floor as stand out while running the length of it. 

Larry Hughes, Cleveland's talented guard, is out indefinitely as he grieves for his younger brother who suddenly and sadly passed away last week.

Seemingly overmatched and down 2-0 in the series at one point, all Cleveland has done is take Detroit's own style of basketball right back at the defending Eastern Conference champs and sent them reeling three straight times, right to the brink of playoff elimination.

Though LeBron's Game 3 heroics may well prove to be the tipping point in the series, Cleveland's other two victories hinged on one of the Pistons' regular post season staples, defense.  In Game 4, Cleveland held the Pistons to just 72 points on 33% shooting from the floor.   Though James was in the midst of a horrendous 8-for-23 shooting night, he did get his teammates involved with 9 assists.

In Game 5, the Cavs won the turnover battle 17-12 and held Detroit to 2-of-10 shooting from 3-point range.  Meanwhile, LeBron was en route to a 32-point night and a crucial late-game assist to Drew Gooden for the eventual game-winning shot.

And, now, Game 6 looms.  It is a win-or-go-home ultimatum for the team with the "favorite" label and the championship pedigree.  And the only thing standing in the way is a 21-year-old kid who just may be the biggest thing the NBA has seen in two decades.  It is a 5-on-1 fast break, and the smart money is now riding on the "1".  And if Games 3, 4, and 5 of this series have taught us anything at all, it is that betting on King James is a decidedly better option than betting against him.

Though Shaq, Wade, and the rest of the Miami Heat are waiting for the winner of the series, the reign of King James may be starting, well ahead of schedule.