LeBron or Michael? Same Obsession

ATLANTA -- Some comparisons will last forever: Ginger or Mary Ann, Coke or Pepsi, Hertz or Avis, Rowan or Martin, Wrigley or Fenway.

LeBron or Michael.

How about LeBron AND Michael? And, no, this doesn't refer to the esteemed Mr. James and Mr. Jordan as players, especially since they reached that solar system beyond the basketball elite in different ways.

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This is about how Jordan was so obsessed with not losing another playoff series to the Detroit Pistons of Bad Boys fame that he willed his Chicago Bulls into dominance. Now you have James as the catalyst behind a suddenly ruthless Cleveland Cavaliers bunch, and his nemesis is two-fold: You had the Cavaliers' lackluster 2007 postseason that led to San Antonio blasting them out of those NBA Finals, and then you had their near miss against the Boston Celtics last year in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

"They were just better than us," said Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, telling the truth Monday night about the eventual world champions. Still, he didn't speak loudly enough for James to hear across the way in the visitors' locker room, and that was a good thing for Ilgauskas. Like that Michael guy, James doesn't easily concede defeat. Like that Michael guy, James also would rather show in dramatic ways that his team is superior to opponents from its past and present.

If it is the Celtics again for Cleveland, say, if they survive Orlando these days to meet the Cavaliers in the Eastern Finals, that's even better for James. In fact, he would prefer the Celtics for redemption sake. "I'm a competitor, and I (thrive) on going against the best," said James, his eyes glowing with thoughts of facing the Big Two -- if not the Big Three, if Kevin Garnett's knee is healthy. "I love going against the best."

Like that Michael guy.

Not coincidentally, the Cavaliers steamrolled their way into the Eastern Conference Finals after Monday night's 84-74 victory over the Atlanta Hawks for an 8-0 record in the playoffs. The Cavaliers look obsessed, so you know where I'm going. Mike Brown did, because he is James' coach and protector. Said Brown, "What I always tell people that if you're going to compare LeBron to -- now, listen to me."

I'm listening. Added Brown, "What you have to take into consideration is, Michael played at a very high level -- a championship level (in college), and played for a great coach (Dean Smith), and played with great players and against great players for three years out of high school. You got to remember that Michael was three years ahead of LeBron in terms of growth and the experiences he had at North Carolina. So, in my opinion, LeBron has arrived extremely quick."

Yes, James has, and he has done so with his unprecedented trio of strength, speed and smarts to at least rival Jordan's legacy, but he would prefer not to be like Mike. He would prefer to be better than Mike. That's because James is pushing the Cavaliers toward his first world championship in his sixth NBA season. After the Pistons spent three consecutive years knocking Jordan's Bulls from the playoffs, Chicago won it all in 1991. That was Jordan's seventh NBA season, but here's the thing: Jordan has six rings overall to James' zero. Which is why, James has continued to lead the Cavaliers on their mission of seek and destroy throughout these playoffs.

Prior to the Cavaliers' four-game rout of Atlanta, they swept Detroit in the first round, and all eight victories were by double digits.

This team is obsessed, all right, and there is no end in sight until the Cavaliers play (and win) the last game of the postseason. "I want to put a ring on my finger badly," said Cavaliers guard Delonte West, his words rocking and rolling with emotion after he complemented James' 27 points with 21 of his own and six assists. "I have 15 other guys in that locker room who feel the same way."

Mo Williams is one of them. Said Williams, whose three-pointer after a nifty feed from James sealed the Hawks' fate down the stretch, "It's a relief that we made it out of the second round, but it's not a celebration. This is not home for us. This is not where we want to be, because home for us is holding up that ball (that is the Larry O'Brien trophy). Until we get there, that's when our celebration starts."

LeBron wouldn't have it any other way.

Or should we say Michael?

It's the same obsession at this point.

Terence Moore is a national columnist and commentator for FanHouse. He is a frequent panelist on "Rome Is Burning," an ESPN show hosted by Jim Rome, that is seen Monday through Friday at 4:30 PM ET. Moore spent more than three decades working for major newspapers, including 26 years as an award-winning sports columnist for the San Francisco Examiner and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He resides in Atlanta.